Unknowingly
by Bloody Kaycee
Summary: With a deadly shinobi after her, Sakura had no choice but to take part in Akatsuki's dangerous game. But when feelings start to manifest unknowingly, can she make it out alive? Continuation of CrimsonSnowflake's "A Game of Seduction".
1. Prologue

**Unknowingly**

Summary:

With a deadly shinobi after her, Sakura had no choice but to take part in Akatsuki's dangerous game. But when feelings start to manifest unknowingly, can she make it out alive? Continuation of CrimsonSnowflake's "A Game of Seduction".

* * *

**Prologue**

To say that Haruno Sakura was disgusted with men and their polygamous nature is an understatement. Having been raised into a family where her father always came home drunk left a deep etch on her childhood and since then her view on men in general was never the same again.

Yet, here she was swaying her hips as she danced as gracefully as she could in a club in front of the audience who were mostly male. It hurt her pride to dance for these unknown people, but she kept telling herself that she is not a dancer, she is a shinobi on a solo mission. She was happy and sad at the same time whenever Tsunade assigns her on a solo mission. Happy because her shishou acknowledges her talents as a kunoichi and trusts her to finish it on her own, and sad because missions such as this always take quite a long time. Doing a mission all by herself made her realize how much she missed her friends but she kept telling herself that she should be proud of herself for being granted such a mission by the Hokage, even if she has to dance her way to achieve it. Did she like doing missions like this? Hell no! But she had no other choice as shinobis never really get to pick the missions they want. Missions like this just deepen the level of negativity she has always felt for the opposite sex.

With a bow, she finished her dance and felt her audience cheer for her. It brought a sense of self-satisfaction to her, but not as much as the self-satisfaction she would feel once this mission is over and she will finally be able to kill her target. She would enjoy ending his life so much!

Sakura had to mentally slap herself before her thoughts went overboard. Killing is not always a good thing but is sometimes necessary in this world of shinobi. Tsunade imparted to her on her early days of medic training that she can't save everyone's lives. Some deaths are completely unavoidable and once life is lost, it can never come back again.

Swiftly, Sakura left the stage and in a split second found her target, Katsuo Kobayashi. He was in his usual place, on the cushioned seats surrounded by girls who were eager to get his attention, as well as his money. She locked eyes with him and that brought all of his attention to her, disregarding the numerous girls he already had. She patted herself at the back at the knowledge that she had done her job well for him to react that way. As she made her way towards her target, she felt a tingling sensation that something was not quite right. She noted the two unfamiliar men who entered the club but paid them no mind. Her mission was more important than those two men who were probably new customers. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she grabbed Katsuo's arm and led him away from the girls and the loud music.

Yuuki Sasaki, as Sakura was called throughout the whole duration of this mission, and Katsuo made their way out of the main hall and into the private room they had always occupied for Sakura to do her real mission, an information retrieval mission. Apparently, her target was a big shot businessman who also participated in underground business. She pushed him quite harshly onto the soft couch, a little payback for what she had to endure these past few weeks. Katsuo, however, didn't seem to mind in his intoxicated state as Sakura sat down on his lap, a light glint of satisfaction showing from her emerald eyes.

"Last time we were talking about your son, weren't we? Would you like to continue?" she asked as a cold hand went up her thighs. She pushed the hand away and thankfully Katsuo didn't seem to notice as he nodded his head in approval to her question, his eyes focused only on the face of the beauty before him.

Sakura smirked, let the real mission begin!

* * *

Sakura smiled at her own reflection on the mirror, ready to head out and buy some supplies. She took note of her weary appearance, working at the club required staying up all night, against the regular human biological clock. But it will all be over soon, she managed to get more information from Katsuo last night so she would only need one more session. Then she can dispose of him at last, like the sick trash that he is, and finally return to her beloved village where she is safe. The weird feeling from last night still haven't left her and a voice inside her head told her to abandon the mission and get back to Konoha as soon as possible. But she can't possibly do that, she's a skilled shinobi who excels in her field. She'll just have to kick the butts of the people who were causing her problems, and if that doesn't work, well she'll find a way to get out of it.

Regaining her thoughts, she stared again at her own reflection as she brushed her shoulder-length hair mildly. She refused to dye her pink hair or anything to alter her appearance, she had gotten really attached to her hair and not even a seduction mission such as the one assigned to her will make her throw away her pink hair. Yes, she might have taken in a new persona but wherever she'll go, she'll always be Sakura, a medic and a kunoichi adored by everyone for simply being herself.

Happy with her outfit, she locked her door and headed out to the street. She wore normal civilian clothes, it wouldn't bid well for her if someone found out that she is a shinobi.

Dark clouds engulfed the early afternoon sky, signifying the coming of a storm. Looking up at the sky, Sakura said to herself that she must pick up her speed and buy all her needed supplies before the heavy rain came down. Without delay, she went from stall to stall and picked up all she needed. A loud thunder erupted through the sky as most of the villagers made their way home quickly, including the pink-haired medic.

Now at the safety of her apartment, Sakura stared hard at the growling sky from her window. Ever since she was a child, she has always hated thunderstorms. It always gave her chills and made her want to close all her curtains, turn on all the lights and sit in a corner like a scared puppy. She clearly remembered how hard Naruto and Sai laughed upon knowing her little secret, and of course she gave them each a punch of appreciation. Thunderstorms rarely occur in Konoha so when it happens it made her cower in fear. Perhaps, the manpower of Konoha isn't the only thing keeping the village safe.

She hurriedly made her way to her bedroom, collected the fluffy blanket she always took with her during missions and wrapped it securely around her before returning to the living room. The thunderstorm outside made her feel uneasy but somehow the voice inside her head told her that it was not the only thing making her feel the way she is feeling right now. She felt like someone is intently watching her.

Sakura stood in the center of the living room and let her senses spread out. She stood like that for ten seconds more before she flopped down on her sofa, not finding any presence besides herself. Perhaps it was just her imagination playing tricks on her, disturbed by the bombarding thunder.

Now lying comfortably on the sofa, Sakura closed her eyes and tried to recall happy thoughts, because she can't possibly think negatively at a time like this. She remembered how Sai's normally pale complexion turned red as a tomato when Naruto asked Sai to paint him. Of course Sai, for the sake of camaraderie as Naruto kept telling him, obliged. However Naruto, being his silly self, decided to transform into his 'sexy form', and things turned out violently from there on courtesy of their most beloved pink-haired teammate.

She broke out in laughter at the memory before the abrupt lightning and ear-splitting thunder broke out from the sky, which made her cringe and tighten her hold on the blanket wrapped around her small frame. Another roar of lightning was heard and took the use of electricity upon its wake, leaving the twenty-year old kunoichi scared and alone in her cold and dark apartment. The black out only served to increase Sakura's level of uneasiness as she felt the atmosphere in her living room become tense as the seconds ticked by.

"Look at what we have here" a raspy voice suddenly broke out into her living room. Rapidly, she turned towards the source of the voice, finding a huge figure looming above her. The red clouds adorning his black cloak told her of his identity and for the first time in her life, Sakura felt utmost fear radiating through every inch of her body.

He took a step toward her and then another as she jumped off the couch and started backing away. With every step he took toward her, she took another step backwards. From the corner of her eyes, she searched for a way, any way, to escape. Inner Sakura told her to kick their sorry asses but the more rational part of her told her otherwise.

Her back collided with something, a body, and she turned around to see who it was. Her fear rose up to its highest level as her emerald eyes met the crimson ones of Uchiha Itachi, one of the most notorious missing nins that ever came from her village.

"A little mouse, a little lost mouse who doesn't know her way home" remarked the large man behind her, whom she now identified as Hoshigaki Kisame, missing nin from the Mist and partner of Uchiha Itachi. Deciding that Kisame is probably the better target than the Uchiha, she summoned chakra to her fist and charged towards her decided target.

A malicious grin appeared in the shark-like man's face, bearing his razor sharp teeth for all to see. In an instant that took her by surprise, Kisame whipped out his signature weapon and swung it towards her, draining her of the chakra she was supposed to use against him and thus stopping her attack. Feeling the adrenaline rushing through her system, she swung her foot upwards, directed towards the weakest spot of all men, their crotch. Kisame, still with a nasty grin plastered on his face, managed to avoid her second attack and came with a punch of his own, in which Sakura dodged with haste.

Coming up with a plan of her own, Sakura braced herself as she charged once again at the tall Akatsuki member. A victorious smirk adorned her face as she noted that her kick connected with his ribs, breaking a few of them in the process. It didn't take another second before Sakura pulled herself away from his reach and headed towards the door, towards her freedom.

Her escape plan was brutally thrown away as the samehada pierced her right shoulder, absorbing all her remaining chakra as well. She was pushed face-first into the floor by Kisame's feet and the hope of getting away from the two S-class criminals was slowly dissipating.

"I propose a game" Kisame said wickedly, a glint of malice shown in his eyes.

Sakura struggled to free herself from being pinned to the floor by his enormous foot. It might be a futile effort, but who knows, maybe the shark-like man was taught proper etiquette by his mother. But that thought completely disappeared when he pushed his foot further on her back. There was no doubt that she's going to have bruises soon on that area.

Another boom of thunder vented from the sky and it nearly made her jump in fear, if not for the foot that was restraining her movements. Kisame grinned wickedly at his prisoner upon sensing her reaction to the deafening thunder "What's wrong, little mouse? Afraid of thunder, aren't we?"

Sakura's rage grew upon hearing what her captor said. How dare he mock her by calling her such a humiliating name? If only her chakra was not drained, then she would have taught the blue-skinned missing nin some manners which were clearly not taught to him, her own way of course!

Kisame gave an inquiring stare towards his partner, as if asking what to do next. The Uchiha regarded him with a nod and then Sakura felt herself being pulled up forcefully and colliding with her sofa. She gritted her teeth at both of her captors for the rough treatment, earning a cold stare from Itachi and menacing laugh from Kisame.

"Oh, I like feisty ones. They're so much fun to kill" Kisame commented as he patted her cheek in a supposed to be affectionate manner. He then cleared his throat "As I was saying, we propose a game. Does the name Katsuo Kobayashi ring a bell? Of course it does, my darling little mouse! You see, he is both yours and our target. Killing him will be no fun at all and I get bored easily, so we propose a race of who gets to kill Katsuo first."

Kisame then zoomed in on her, face to face with only a few inches of space between them. "Needless to say, your prize will be escaping here alive. You're a smart girl, as far as we know, and I know you know what lies ahead if you lose."

"What if I choose not to participate?" Sakura retorted, trying her best not to show fear in front of the enemy.

"A slow and painful death" answered Itachi, no emotion whatsoever in his tone or facial expression. Sakura stared hard at him, somehow astounded as to how he said those words. He said it like it's a matter of fact, like the act of torturing her until she finally gave in to death was something he did everyday. Well, he is an S-class missing nin who killed his whole clan, sparing his brother, in one night, she shouldn't be amazed at all.

"I have no choice then" remarked Sakura as she glared daggers at the Uchiha in front of her, it's the least she could do given the circumstance she was in.

A menacing laugh echoed throughout the living room once again, courtesy of Kisame. He found it amusing to see the little pink kunoichi trying her best to be strong in front of them. "And here we thought that you were smart too, of course you have a choice! Didn't you hear? You can choose to participate in this game, suggested by yours truly of course, or you can choose death. It's as simple as that."

Sakura couldn't believe the situation she was in right now. Her mission was a simple information retrieval, how did it end up like this? She knew that fighting her way out of this is impossible, even though she had grown stronger throughout the years. Maybe death is a wiser choice than participating in this stupid game and not knowing what lies ahead. Being a medic nin, she has come to accept that some deaths just cannot be avoided. Maybe her death can count as that.

She then shook her head, mentally slapping and berating herself for considering such foolish thoughts. She still has a lot of reasons to live, one of them is to see team seven reunite again as comrades. There was no doubt Naruto will scold her when he hears about this, as well as Tsunade, Kakashi, Sai and all her friends back at Konoha. What will her mother, who is now watching over her from above, think of her only daughter who nearly chose to give up on life just because she thought there was no way out? Kisame said so himself that she was a smart lady, she just have to think of a way to get out of this hellhole they were putting her through.

It really didn't sit well for her but for the mean time, she has to do everything to keep herself alive. Even if she had to play her role in this dangerous game.

* * *

Ignoring the many pairs of eyes that followed her every movement , Sakura made her way through the crowded dance floor. Today was friday, a day where she didn't have to seduce men by swaying her hips as if she was on heat, and instead manage the bar. On reflex, she slapped a daring hand away, not bothering to look at the perpetrator as she continued on. It sickened her to work on a place like this, even if it's for a mission.

Bodies grinded against each other, heated kisses were exchanged and occasionally a couple would leave the dance floor for the private rooms the club offered especially for that kind of act. The sight before her barely registered in her mind, probably because she was used to it, as she trudged through the steamy dance floor.

Sakura sighed heavily, clubs like this are the very place where sins are born and she has lived through it for almost three weeks and all of it will end tonight. There's too much at stake, but one thing is for sure, Katsuo Kobayashi will be dead by the end of the night. She hated the thought that such an excuse for a man will determine the direction of her life in the near future, if she can live through it. Because as of last night, she has now become a part of this demented game the Akatsuki proposed, and she has no way to turn her back now.

With a hawk's eye, Sakura watched her target intently. He was at his usual place surrounded, yet again, by countless women who were willing to give their womanhood in exchange for a fair amount of cash. She also noted the presence of her two opponents seated at the far end of club, not once amused by the women who were throwing themselves at them. Well, maybe Kisame was amused but was trying his best not to show any reaction on his face, while his partner remained as stoic as ever even with the lingering temptations at his side.

She kept her attention fixed on her target, and once in a while on her opponents, as orders were shouted her way. While in the middle of mixing drinks, Sakura saw from the corner of her eye Katsuo making his way out of his lounge and into the private rooms, dragging a busty redhead behind him. She secured a look on her opponents, noting that they haven't moved an inch from where they were seated. Then she decided that she would give Katsuo and the redhead an ultimatum of ten minutes.

Those ten minutes she promised ticked by quickly and the next thing she knew she was making her way towards the room her target had occupied. She suddenly became aware of Itachi's sharp and calculating gaze piercing through her and she froze. They knew of the situation and still they were letting her get a headstart? Well, they were probably confident that whatever happens, they will still be the victor.

She ignored Itachi's gaze and continued on. The night is still young and even though the odds were highly against her, she liked to keep her hopes up, something she acquired from being with Naruto too often.

She stood outside the room and placed her hand on the doorknob, not at all disturbed by the sounds of moans and gasps coming from inside the room. Gently, she turned the door knob and opened the door, leaving an adequate space for her small frame to fit in. Closing the door behind her silently, she let her eyes wander around the darkened room, noting that the only means of escape is the door behind her. Following the source of the loud moans, she found herself staring at her target who was seated at the edge of the bed, with the redheaded woman between his thighs. A wave of pity washed through her as she stared at the woman who was busy doing her act to even notice another presence inside the room. She would have to die too for it would pose countless problems if she was kept alive, with the knowledge of Sakura's hidden identity.

Flicking a kunai from the weapon holder on her thigh and gripping it tightly, Sakura closed in on her target, and at the same time let her senses spread out if ever Itachi and Kisame chose this exact moment to strike.

All of a sudden, the world around her froze and she couldn't move her body. Katsuo and the woman seemed to be unmoving too and she felt an aura, a deep sadistic aura, closing in on her. Someone is playing with her and the other occupants in the room. The temperature seemed to drop dramatically and with a strong determination, she forced herself to have control over her muscles again.

Then she felt Itachi's and Kisame's rapidly approaching chakra signatures, as if they were desperately trying to reach something before it's too late. But if that's not Itachi and Kisame's aura she felt earlier, then whose was it?

Without warning, she was flung towards the hard wall with a force so great she was sure her head was already bleeding from the impact. For the first time in a long time, she felt utmost pain throughout her entire body. All of a sudden, a cold and maniacal laughter filled the room along with a more sinister aura that came with it.

Through blurred vision, she made out a figure of a man, almost as tall as Kisame, as he knelt down in front of her. He tilted her chin up and it was only then that she saw the face of the unwanted occupant. Dark hair framed his pale face, making his icy blue eyes more noticeable. Black paint adorned his long face in various places; a black teardrop was painted right under his right eye, his lips were as dark as his hair and his eyes were surrounded by what looked like black eyeliner. He also wore a white hat which was tilted slightly to the side.

"Oh, what do we have here?" he asked as his mouth spread into a wide grin, making his appearance more frightening as it was. "A porcelain doll?"

Sakura felt every inch of her body froze as the man in front of her petted her affectionately, like she was a cat. "I don't have a pink doll"

Then the hand that was petting her head suddenly came down on her face, then on her neck and on the curves of her body. Fear struck her whole being and she couldn't move again.

"I want a pink doll"

As he said those words, Sakura felt his gaze pierce through her own body and into her soul, as if he found something rare in her and wanted to take it for himself. Abruptly, she was lifted up into a standing position by her new opponent and was forced to face her initial target and his redheaded companion. If it wasn't for their ragged breathing and frantic movement of their eyes as they try to win back control over their own bodies, Sakura would have thought that they were already dead.

"They're just like two dolls being controlled by strings" he whispered into her ear, leaving her hair on that area standing. "With a small flick of my finger, I could have them kill each other. It would make the predicament so much easier for you and you can win that silly game of yours"

A small sadistic laugh escaped through the man's painted lips as Katsuo and the woman stood up, took deliberate steps towards each other and caught each other's vulnerable throats in a death grip.

"All you have to do is ask and I'll do it" he said, his breath caressing the sensitive skin on her neck and leaving a wet trail of saliva.

Sakura's unmoving muscles tensed up at the unwelcome contact on her neck and an even greater level of fear welled up inside of her. She definitely did not see this coming.

Horrified emerald eyes stared at the redheaded woman as all the color seemed to have left her face from the lack of oxygen. "Don't…"

"Oh? Aren't you supposed to-" the painted man was suddenly cut off by a loud explosion coming from the wall where the door was located. Two pairs of eyes took in the situation inside the room, one pair glowing dangerously red with the sharingan.

"How unusual of you, Yukio, to intervene on affairs that aren't yours to meddle with" spat Itachi in his usual cold tone with a tint of menace behind it.

"Itachi and Kisame! It's been so long since I've last seen the both of you! Look at what I have here!" the man, now known as Yukio, greeted in faked glee, although the feeling is obviously not mutual. He then grabbed the stunned Sakura by the shoulders and presented her to the two Akatsuki members. "I've just found myself a new doll!"

Kisame raised his samehada up to his shoulders, ready to strike, as he regarded Yukio with a spiteful look. "Why don't you let my little mouse there go and then we'll talk"

"Oh no!? You're not jealous, are you Kisame? Well, too bad I don't think I will ever hand something so rare and beautiful to the likes of you. I could just kill you, of course. That would make my life so much easier" remarked Yukio, a flash of killing intent shown through his face.

Flailing her arms around, Sakura forced herself to remove herself from his hold. It was hard as she only relied on her strength, it seemed that Yukio did something for her not to have full control over her own chakra.

Never had she thought that she would be glad upon seeing Itachi and Kisame, but as it was she was more familiar with the two Akatsuki members rather than this Yukio person. The fact that they seemed to want to help her only served to improve her impression of them, and at that time she wanted nothing more than to be by their side, away from the dangerous clutches of the unfamiliar shinobi named Yukio.

"Please, my doll, be still" said Yukio, in response to her thrashing around under his hold "It's very hard for me to concentrate when you're like that."

Stubborn as she was, Sakura continued throwing her arms around, smiling as she took in the inconvenience she caused on her captor. She never belonged to anybody and so for him to call her like that, he was just asking for more trouble.

All of a sudden, she was pushed roughly away from her captor and into the hard floor, scraping her knees on a piece of cement from the demolished wall. She immediately turned around to see what caused Yukio to push her like that and the corners of her lips twitched upwards in a sadistic smile. There, lying motionless and probably dead, on the floor was Yukio, swimming in his own pool of blood. A kunai was pressed deeply into his neck, his pulse point, causing the litters and litters of blood to spill out.

"Kisame" said the older Uchiha, not even glancing in the direction of his partner "Get the girl. We're leaving."

"What!? That wasn't part of the deal!" yelled Sakura as she instinctively started backing away upon seeing the tall blue man advancing on her.

"Foolish girl" said Itachi as he regarded her with a cold stare "You didn't kill the target, therefore you didn't win the game. Thus, we are allowed to do anything we want with you."

"Well, you didn't win either!" protested Sakura, although she knew that that was futile.

Suddenly, the sound of a kunai hitting something was heard and Katsuo Kobayashi fell lifelessly on the floor, the kunai deeply embedded on his heart the cause of his death.

"Happy now?"

* * *

Rain poured hard on the cold forest floor as three figures dashed from branch to branch, their shadows almost unseen due to the speed of their movements. Autumn has ended a week ago and the chilly air gave way to the start of the winter season. As a child, Sakura always loved the season of snow. She would always come out and form snow angels or have a couple of rounds of snowball fight with her friends back in Konoha. Even when they were at their teens, Sakura always went out of her way for a snowball fight with Naruto. Some might think it's foolish but she and Naruto always had a mutual agreement of never backing down on a snowball fight. And of course, Sai, being their new teammate, was forced to take part in the fight for the sake of camaraderie. And when they've all exhausted themselves, Naruto would take them to Ichiraku for some delicious ramen, a perfect way to warm their cold bodies.

Sakura smiled thoughtfully, but then the thought that she might not be able to do that again with Naruto and Sai saddened her. Given the situation she is in right now, she told herself that she should be grateful to still be breathing. She was travelling with two members of the infamous organization Akatsuki and it will just be a matter of time before they realized that killing her will benefit them more than keeping her as prisoner. She just hoped that before that day happened, she would have found a way to let Konoha know of her predicament and possibly have them sent reinforcements to help her escape.

She was pushed out of her thoughts when she almost tripped while landing on the next tree branch. She ignored that little mishap and continued on, although her body was begging her for rest. They have been travelling since morning and it was nearing sundown already. Only the determination of not letting them see her again in a defeated state was keeping her going. Kisame looked at her from behind, a smirk adorning his face, enjoying her little mishap. Sakura just shrugged her shoulders and continued on, Kisame did that for the purpose of pissing her off and she, in return will not grant him that.

After what seemed like ages, the harsh rain subdued a little and Itachi and Kisame finally descended from the branches and into the bark of a large tree, its leaves shielding them from the drizzle. Sakura willingly followed after them, happy to take a break for once. She was about to lean against the tree bark on her body's orders when Itachi turned to her, his face unemotional as ever.

"Put this on" he ordered as he threw a bundle of clothes towards her.

For a few seconds, she just stared at them with a knowing look. Although they have already seen her with her flimsy clothing when she was still working at the club, she would never grant them the sight of her in her undergarments.

"Turn around so I can change. It's common chivalry, duh" she said, not at all bothered by the way the two men regarded her.

Kisame then took a step towards her, no doubt planning to spit out an offensive comment, when a hand on his shoulder stopped his movement. Itachi just nodded at his partner then turned around to give her the privacy that she needed. He has had enough of the bickering between his partner and the little kunoichi, they've been at it since they took her in.

Sakura mentally laughed at herself for saying such a crude comment. They were S-class criminals and members of the most infamous organization to ever exist. How can she expect them to treat her with courtesy?

"Why do I have to change into this anyway?" she asked as she unfolded the clothing which revealed to be a green dress that reached just below her knees and a light blue jacket.

Kisame made a 'tsk' sound from where he was standing with his back facing her. "Are you even listening to what Itachi said earlier? What kind of kunoichi are you?" he asked in a mocking tone. Sakura glared at him, although she knew he wouldn't be able to see it from his position. Who could blame her for not being able to hear what Itachi said? It was bound to happen especially when it's pouring hard and with Itachi's inaudible way of speaking. Really, Itachi and Kisame are two very opposite shinobi. It was a wonder to her how they can coexist harmoniously.

"As I've mentioned earlier," said Itachi, his voice now clearer to hear "we will be travelling under a cover. You and I will act as a happily married couple and Kisame as a close friend of the family"

"What the-!?"

"Of course, this act will be held up at all times as long as we're even remotely near a village" he commented, not at all bothered that he just cut off what she was about to say. "You _will_ not resist this, you _will_ act like a besotted female and you _will_ obey us. We will not tolerate any untoward comment or behaviour."

There was a sense of finality in his voice that made Sakura shiver, and the rain had nothing to do with it. She had earlier on told herself that just because she is in their captivity doesn't mean that she has to obey them, like a slave to her master. She is a tough kunoichi and she will not make this easy for them. But her earlier resolve seemed to crumble down after hearing those words from the cold Uchiha.

Finished with putting on the outfit, Sakura turned around and was met with Kisame and Itachi in ordinary civilian clothing. Kisame looked more normal to say the least, despite his blue complexion and shark-like teeth. And Itachi looked more innocent, like his hands have never been stained with blood, although his face was as still as ever. They looked so harmless that Sakura had to shake her head and remind herself that they were S-class criminals who had done atrocious crimes enough for them to be listed in the bingo book.

Itachi's hand affectionately grasping hers broke her from her thoughts and she squealed, not in a way a kunoichi of her calibre would, in response to the sudden contact. She stared at their intertwined fingers before directing her eyes to Itachi's neutral face in a questioning look.

Itachi just shrugged off the look she's giving him and lead them on towards the nearest village. He has explained the terms already and he will not do it again for her sake.

The village, despite being small, was swarming with people, no doubt to shop for ingredients for their dinner. Sakura ignored the many pairs of eyes that were staring at them as they walked through the village. It's not that their act was not believable enough, but perhaps because this village is one of those rural villages that rarely get to have visitors.

Aware of the suspicious eyes following their every movement, Itachi's grip on her hands tightened and he drew her closer to his body. As much as Sakura would like to retaliate for the seemingly affectionate treatment of her so-called husband, she cannot. She had to remind herself of what Itachi told earlier, and the cold way he said those words that made her want to sulk into a corner.

"Excuse me, but I've noticed that you've been walking around our small village for quite a while" said an old man, who seem to be in his 50's, as he walked up to them clutching an old wooden cane. He has a vibrant smile on his wrinkly face as he took in the three of them "My name is Satoshi Tanaka and I've been here in this village for as long as I can remember. Can I assist you in anything?"

"Yes, we were hoping to get a few days of rest here. You see, my wife," answered Itachi as he motioned towards Sakura, a loving glint shown through his onyx eyes, and stroked her stomach softly "is pregnant and needs rest. According to our map, this village is the only one for miles."

Satoshi's vibrant smile then turned to one of sadness "I'm afraid that what you said was correct, young man. Sadly, since this village rarely has visitors, there was no need to build an inn in which you can rest" he replied as he directed a sympathetic look at Sakura.

Sakura then leaned against Itachi as if seeking for support as she regarded Satoshi with a sad look. She felt bad for him, not because of the bad news he delivered to them but because she was forced to deceive such a generous old man who had nothing to do with the deal between her and the Akatsuki. She wanted so much to tell him that they can easily travel to the next town in a few hours without much inconvenience and that he shouldn't feel sorry for them. Yes, she might be one at fault for this act but that doesn't mean she can't feel compassion for their victim. Despite Itachi's hold on her hand, Sakura stepped forward to comfort the man who was unfortunate enough to be a victim of their act.

"It's alright. We can just walk on and find another place to stay, can't we _dear_?" asked Sakura as she turned around to face her husband. For a fraction of a second Sakura saw a forbidding glint in his eyes, but as soon as she saw it, it was gone. Instead, Itachi stepped beside his wife as he wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a hand on her stomach. For others, it might seem that that was a gesture of a loving husband to his pregnant wife but in reality it was a show of how easily he could hurt her.

"Are you sure you can handle that, love? After all, you're in a delicate condition" remarked Itachi with worry evident on his eyes as he kissed the top of her head. It took an unimaginable amount of restraint for Sakura to stay in her position and keep up with their act.

"It's okay, dear. I'm only one month pregnant so there's no need to worry" she said sweetly as she intertwined her fingers with Itachi's. Itachi, in return, squeezed her hand a little harder than what was necessary.

"Itachi," Kisame suddenly called out "It's going to rain and we'll have to find shelter soon. We wouldn't want Sakura to be sick now, would we?"

Satoshi paled at the implication "Come, follow me. You can rest in my house for the mean time" he said as he ushered them towards the direction of his home "I simply cannot let a pregnant woman walk ahead in a situation like this."

Sakura took notice of the genuine smile laid on his face as the three of them followed after him. There was nothing that would indicate his actions as fabricated and she was happy to know that people like Satoshi, who were willing to lend a helping hand to those who absolutely need it, really do exist.

In a matter of a few minutes, Sakura found herself seated in an old-looking chair in the living room of Satoshi's home with Itachi and Kisame. After making sure his guests were comfortable, Satoshi went to the kitchen to prepare some tea. Sakura then stood up to face the stoic Uchiha who was comfortably sitting in the couch.

"Pregnant!?" she hissed, trying her very best not to be too loud for Satoshi to hear.

"It helped us find a place to stay" he stated in a cool voice

Sakura just stared at him disbelievingly and when she felt that he won't explain the matter any further, she slumped down on the couch opposite him. Well, what was done is done and there's nothing she can do about it.

"Remind me again why we're doing this, will you?" she asked in a muffled voice due to the pillow she pressed on her face.

"In case you have forgotten, Yukio is still alive somewhere and to his eyes, you're the most interesting piece of treasure he has yet to take hold. We're the only ones with enough power to keep you from being killed and made into his doll" he paused and then stared at Sakura, who was now seated straight and was regarding him with an even look "You could say that your collaboration is your payment for our services."

Yukio, that maniac of a shinobi she encountered at the club a few days ago, how could she forget him? Just the mere mention of his name sends shivers down her spine. It was weird but somehow she felt a sense of gratitude to the two Akatsuki members who captured her, grateful for the fact that she was stuck with the less dangerous shinobi, if her familiarity with the two sides can be trusted.

"Unless, of course, if you despise us so much that you would want to throw yourself at Yukio, then be our guest" commented Kisame, a large grin spread across his shark-like features.

Sakura regarded him with a hard glare as she pressed the upper half of her body down to the pillow on her lap "Shut up."

Kisame's eyes sparked with something Sakura couldn't quite get as his large grin spread even wider. "Don't do that, Sakura. You might harm the baby" he then laughed, teasing her further. In the next millisecond, a shuriken went flying towards Kisame and if it wasn't for his insane reflexes, it would have grazed his cheek. A second later, Sakura found her wrist held tightly in a bruising grip by her supposed to be loving husband, pulling her up into a standing position harshly. His eyes didn't light up with the sharingan but the way he was regarding her with cold, unemotional onyx eyes made her just as uncomfortable as when his sharigan was activated.

"Might I remind you that I will not tolerate any untoward behaviour while you're with us?" his cold voice filled in the silence of the living room. Sakura tried to jerk her wrist free but it only resulted with him tightening his grip more "But he started it!"

Giving her one last glare, Itachi decided to just ignore her childish rebuttal, nothing good will come out of it anyway, and let go of her wrist. The same second he freed her wrist, Sakura used both of her hands to push him, unfortunately without chakra, and that was the sight that welcomed Satoshi when he returned to the living room, his brown eyes fixated on the couple. Sakura laughed nervously as she kept hitting Itachi on the chest with her balled fists playfully, the only logical thing she could come up at that startling moment.

"Ah, the joys of youth!" he exclaimed as he set down the tray carrying the pot of tea and four identical cups on the coffee table. Sakura and Itachi fell back on the couch together and on instinct he wrapped his arm around her waist tightly. Satoshi poured the tea and gave each of them a cup of the warm beverage. "You two remind me so much of myself and my wife Maiko when we were at your age. We were so full of life and so much in love with each other, just like the two of you. And how can I forget that time when we had our first child?"

He then rose up from his seat and made his way towards the pink-haired woman, hesitantly motioning towards her stomach as if asking for her permission. For a moment, Sakura wondered what he wanted to imply and when she caught his eyes staring at her flat stomach, she smiled and gave him her consent. Satoshi's eyes lit up in joy as he slowly caressed her stomach.

"A child is the most wonderful gift anyone can be granted, I hope this child will bring you as much happiness as it gave me" he smiled at both Itachi and Sakura but there was a seriousness to his voice, as if wanting to imbed each and every word he just imparted to them.

Taking what Satoshi mentioned as a chance to tease again, Kisame snorted out a reply "That's true, so true!" he then patted his partner on the back "I myself am very much looking forward to the arrival of this little miracle. They've been trying to conceive for quite a long time now, Itachi even came to me complaining about how he feared that he's shooting without ammunition."

Along with the booming laughter from the shark man came a furious red blush on Sakura's face. The thought of her sleeping with the raven-haired missing nin disgusted her to the core and she focused her eyes on the floor, averting eye contact with him. However, the embarrassment Kisame oh so willingly conveyed wasn't enough for Itachi to release his hold on her, although Sakura knew that he was just as embarrassed as she was.

Hurriedly, Sakura put the cup of tea to her lips in order to hide the embarrassment. The hot beverage almost burned her tongue but she didn't care. Her life was already complicated as it was, and Kisame just have to add into it.

* * *

Scorching flames engulfed the once opulent part of the village as people, young and old, male and female, literally ran for their lives. It was a devastating sight to see, lifeless bodies, which probably belonged to innocent people, lay on the ashen ground as fragments of buildings piled up against each other.

Out of the rubble stood the painted man, tilting his white hat to the side as it has always been. Beyond the wreckage he had intentionally caused, his blue eyes scanned every inch of what was left of the club. Then a frown made its way to his pale face at the knowledge that what he was looking for was no longer here. But he didn't regret what he did to this part of the village, watching the villagers and those wenches who worked at the club running, screaming and clawing their way to survive served him entertainment.

His eyes grew bigger as he took notice of the lifeless bodies at his feet. Some were old, some had their limbs detached from their body in a gruesome manner and some bodies were even burning, but one particular body caught his attention. It was a body of a woman, probably one who worked at the brothel judging from her clothes which barely covered her intimate parts. He stared at her curiously, noting that her left arm and both of her legs were twisted in a very awkward angle. He then directed his gaze at her face, there was no doubt that she was beautiful but once you take all the make-up away she looked like a totally different person. Too bad, she was a good candidate to turn into one of his dolls but he shrugged her off, stepping on her body, not at all bothered by the sounds of her bones breaking under his feet.

"I want my pink doll" he muttered to himself as he walked away from the devastated area. He felt sad to know that his pink doll is no longer here, but that was beside the point. He just had to search for her, no matter how many innocent lives may be sacrificed.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hi! I'm back! This story is the continuation of Crimsonsnowflake's story "Game of Seduction". This is just a summary of what she has written. Sadly, she has deleted the story on her account.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'm just a PM away!

Please review!

And thanks for all the support!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	2. Chapter 1: Under One Roof

**Unknowingly**

**Chapter 1: Under One Roof**

Rain pelted against the roof of Satoshi's home as the moon towered over the sky, bringing a cold breeze over the little village. Despite the rain which was caused by the storm, it was almost a peaceful sight. Peaceful enough for Sakura to lose her guard and enjoy the relaxation that came with it. But she quickly deviated from her thoughts, she couldn't possibly do that knowing where she stands.

There was nothing peaceful about being held captive by two dangerous missing nins who were also members of the infamous organization Akatsuki. One wrong move could get her fatally injured or yet, killed. They could even use her bond with Naruto to their advantage or torture her for any information about her village. But despite all of that, she let herself relax at the comfort of the warm bed she is currently lying on, ignoring the warmth of Itachi's body at her left. Apparently, it was required for her and Itachi to share a bed. She has been sleeping on the same bed with him for five days already and although she disapproved of it personally, there was nothing she can do about it. They can't afford to be revealed, end of story.

Their cover has been kept up at all times ever since they got near this village. Whether they're out in the open or in private, they kept on holding hands, leaning in to each other and calling each other in their preferred term of endearment, the perfect image of a happily married couple.

She turned to her left to face the Uchiha beside her, observing his steady breathing. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought that he was asleep, but being with him for the past few days told her that he was just as awake as or even more than she was.

Groaning, she shifted her position so that she lay on her stomach. There was so much going on in her head and all she wanted right now is to fall asleep until the sun came out. Satoshi kept on implying that she should take as much rest as she can, considering the little life inside of her. A few minutes passed by and she suppressed another groan as she shifted position yet again so that she was lying on her back, staring at the wooden ceiling of the room.

"Sleep" commanded Itachi through closed eyes.

"That's what I've been trying to do for the past hour or so" she replied bluntly, earning a look from him.

He regarded her with a disinteresting look and Sakura just stared at him in return. "Come closer" whispered Itachi out of the blue.

"What?" replied Sakura, disbelief evident in her voice, as Itachi pulled her to his side, her head resting on his chest and his arm wrapped around her frame.

Itachi didn't need to supply her with an answer because in a matter of a few seconds footsteps were heard outside their room. She grew tense as the footsteps got nearer and nearer and an image of Yukio with a creepy smile on his face emerged from her mind. She pressed up against him more, feeling scared of seeing Yukio's face again, and Itachi in return tightened his hold on her. Suddenly, all thoughts about Yukio disappeared and, although against her better judgement, she felt safe in Itachi's arms.

The doorknob turned and the intruder stepped inside. Although in the darkness of the room, both shinobi saw that it was only Satoshi who entered.

"Maybe he's become suspicious of us" Sakura thought and she stiffen as realization hit her. They can't afford to be revealed. If Satoshi found out that they were just acting and that they were different persons from what he perceived them as, Itachi and Kisame will no doubt have him disposed, even if he was kind enough to provide shelter for them for the past few days.

At that thought, Sakura wrapped her free arm around Itachi in a warm embrace, her facial expression showing bliss at having her dearest husband so close to her. In addition, she pressed her lips to the side of his face and for a fraction of a second she felt Itachi stiffen. Their act seemed to take away Satoshi's suspicions as they heard the door closed.

Upon hearing Satoshi's footsteps vanish, Sakura dislodged herself from the Uchiha's arms, pressing herself at the wall to get as far away as possible from the man she was cuddling to just a few seconds ago. They have managed to convince Satoshi that they were indeed a couple, that even in their sleep they still sought each other out. It was the kind of relationship that Sakura could only long for and having convinced someone that she was in a relationship like that was quite bitter. It reminded her of everything she wished she could have.

That was the closest contact Sakura ever had with a man, and the thought that she did it with a person who she despised disgusted her "For how long are we going to keep this farce up?" she asked, eyes directing everywhere except to him.

"For as long as it takes" replied Itachi sharply, as if she wasn't worthy of further explanation.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked as she finally turned to face him.

"It means," said Itachi as he turned and bore his eyes into her own "that you will stay with us until we decide that you can leave."

The way he said those words told her that there were no room for arguments, that she will not have a say on any matter, and that they still held her life in the palms of their hands. Anger welled up inside her, they were treating her just like a toy. "Why should I continue to allow you to control me? Why should I stay by your side when you refuse to tell me what's going on?"

"Because you are to do as I say" stated Itachi with a voice like steel. For a moment Sakura saw his eyes flashed red with the sharingan but it was gone so fast she doubted that she even saw it. "You are to obey every order I give you unless you want to die."

He paused, musing over something as suddenly a mocking glint lit up in his eyes "Or perhaps you'd rather be with Yukio?" his eyebrow rose, mocking her further.

Sakura found herself at a loss for what to say. She has convinced herself that being with Itachi and Kisame is better than being with Yukio. She really didn't know what that mysterious shinobi meant by turning her into his doll and she didn't want to divulge on that matter any further. The fact remains that she has chosen to stay with the lesser evil, but evil nonetheless.

Deciding not to retaliate, she laid down again and turned to face the wall, her back facing him. Losing an argument to the elder Uchiha was something she had expected but not fully accepted. Ignoring him seemed like an act of a guilty person but at this moment she decided that it was the right course of action. All of a sudden, the man behind her grabbed her shoulder and flipped her onto her back roughly. His eyes glowed dangerously with the sharingan and there was nothing she could do but stare back at him.

"Do not," he spat out, venom filling his voice "turn your back on me."

"And why not!?" she answered back, her eyes just as intense or even more so as his. "It's quite clear to me that all the words I will say will hardly mean anything to you, so why on earth should I continue to speak to you!?"

His grip on her shoulder tightened and if it kept on going like that, she was sure there'll be bruises soon. She squirmed around but it only resulted with him tightening his hold further. She was planning to strike back with a crass comment, because engaging in a combat with the irate Uchiha is like a death wish, but the way he was staring at her through heated sharingan eyes made her change her mind. Instead she remained silent and diverted her eyes from the man hovering over her.

Sakura didn't know how many minutes had passed by when Itachi finally loosened his hold on her shoulder. Her pride told her to turn her back to him again but the more rational part of her told her not to after seeing Itachi's reaction. She guessed that even someone as unemotional as him can't stand being ignored. She was stunned after seeing that side of him, the side which gets infuriated just like anyone else. The fact that she could easily see that his calmness was a deception was even more frightening than seeing him in his infuriated state.

Itachi regarded her with a cold stare "I repeat, do not turn your back on me, ever" he imparted, emphasizing each and every word he had spoken.

* * *

Tension filled the air as the four occupants of the room sat around the dining table to eat breakfast. Satoshi's eyes darted from Itachi to Sakura and back. Although none of the two spoke a word ever since they came down to eat breakfast, it was quite clear that they're in the middle of a quarrel judging from the way they are behaving around each other. But Satoshi wasn't fazed about it, Sakura is pregnant after all and it wasn't unusual for a pregnant woman to be emotional.

The loud scrapping of the chair against the floor brought the attention of the three to the source. "I'm going to take a bath" stated Sakura as she walked away, leaving the three men to themselves. Two days have passed since Satoshi walked in on them in the middle of the night and her first big argument with the stoic Uchiha. It was unnerving to be even near him, she mused as she got her change of clothes and made her way to the bathroom.

Ever since that night she had been kept on constant surveillance, except for times when she needed to tend to her personal needs. She was okay with Kisame watching over her, he kept on teasing her though and their good-humored quarrels gave her something else to think about. But when it's Itachi's turn to watch her it made her want to get as far away from him as possible. He never talked unless it was truly necessary and she really felt her situation as their captive whenever she's with him. She doubted that Itachi even thought of her as a human being with feelings, the way he was regarding her made her feel that she was just a toy they are playing with and when the time comes when they are no longer interested in keeping her, she will be disregarded and who knows where she'll end up?

She groaned aloud as she turned on the shower and droplets of water came down, engulfing her with its warmth. Winter has just started and she was thankful to have the luxury of being able to bathe in warm water. Forget Akatsuki, forget Itachi, for now Sakura decided to pamper herself the only way she knew how, taking a long, relaxing and warm bath.

* * *

Itachi sat uncomfortably in his chair as he ate the remainder of his breakfast. Satoshi is glaring at him and Kisame did nothing to ease the situation, in fact he seemed to be enjoying it. He rarely spoke to her since that night when they got into an argument, he simply didn't have time to address how stubborn she was behaving. Tension rapidly grew whenever they are in the same room and from the way the older man is staring at him, he guessed that he was already aware of the situation between him and Sakura.

"Itachi," Satoshi began, not changing the way he was staring at the younger man. "I know I'm in no place to say this, but you have to make up with Sakura."

Itachi just stared at him in response and the older man took that as a sign to continue. "I know that a pregnant wife is hard to please, but what you're doing is not right either. As a man who has gone through the same situation twice, I simply cannot leave you and Sakura like that" then his gentle tone changed and all of a sudden he was accusing him. "If I hadn't known better, it would seem like you don't care for her at all, let alone the child inside of her."

"I care for her" he simply stated, without a hint of annoyance.

Satoshi's stern look didn't change "Yet you keep on ignoring her. Is that the proper way to care for your pregnant wife?"

Itachi just sighed inwardly in frustration, it wouldn't do good if he killed the man who generously took them in for the past week after all. And arguing back is simply illogical, so he just regarded the older man begrudgingly with an even stare.

Proud with himself, Satoshi let out a smirk "Then let me tell you how I handled my wife when she was in the same situation as Sakura."

Itachi suppressed a long sigh and a wide grin appeared on Kisame's face.

* * *

Eerie silence filled the air as the sky darkened, as though mourning for the innocent lives that were taken just minutes ago. Frightened eyes took in the sight before him, a family of four lay lifelessly on the cold grass as they swam in their own pool of blood. The young boy chose to stay in his position hidden behind the bush although his limbs were already cramping. He didn't dare move for he knew that the one responsible for the slaughter is still lurking around the corner. He had witnessed how that deranged man killed the whole family with a wicked smile spread across his face while laughing in an insane and nefarious way. As for his reasons, the young boy couldn't come up with any at all. Maybe he wasn't even a human, the young boy thought to himself. No person, no matter what upbringing, would possibly take pleasure in killing the way the deranged man did.

"My, my" warm breath suddenly tickled his neck, his fear of being found rose a level higher. "Hide and seek is really not my favorite game to play, so please come out now."

His breathing sped up as he swung around, frantically searching his surroundings for the man responsible for the family's death. However, his eyes came up with nothing and for a moment he regretted his decision. His actions caused the bush he was hiding in to move and he had inevitably given away his location.

"Aw, don't worry pretty boy" he suddenly heard the voice from his right.

"It will all be over soon enough." His left.

"I'm just here to ask a few questions." Behind.

Out of the blue, the man appeared in front of him. A wide smile was plastered on his face as his eyes shone with a maniacal glint. His gloved hand reached up to caress his cheek in a manner that he supposed was meant to be comforting. However, his whole body shivered from the light contact.

"You'll help me, won't you?" the man chuckled and the boy was speechless from the way the painted man was regarding him "Of course you will! If you know what's best for you."

Although he said those words with a smile, the young boy couldn't help but shudder in fear in the presence of the dangerous man. He haven't uttered a word but the man took that as a yes.

"Now let's see…" the man began, thoughtfully rubbing his chin "You come from the village about two miles away from here, do you not?"

The young boy didn't reply, but the man asking didn't seem to mind all that much.

"Good. Then I suppose that you can tell me whether a young lady with pink hair has recently been there?"

Yes, he had seen such a young lady with pink hair. The color of her hair was more than enough for him to remember her. She was beautiful, unlike any woman he had ever seen. He wanted to come up to her and ask why she was in their village if it hadn't been for the two intimidating men walking beside her. That was the first and last time he had ever seen her and he relayed all those information to the man, having no choice left.

The deranged man's incredibly wide smile widened ever further as he took in the young man's words. "Ah, and is she still in the village?"

"I don't know" he answered without a moment's hesitation "That was the only time I ever saw her in the village and haven't heard about her since then."

Yukio stared at the young man and knew that he was telling the truth "Aw, that's just sad" and then he paused,

"And I'm afraid you're no longer of any use to me."

The young man's eyes widened as a hand was thrust straight through his chest. He glanced down and saw rivers of blood flowing through his open wound as he fell hard on the ground. Hot tears fell from his eyes and mixed with his own blood as he stared hard at his killer, his terrifying smile still lingering on his painted face.

Then his eyes went blank, his heart stopped beating and his chest ceased to rise. Another innocent life was taken that day by the same man.

* * *

The morning sunlight that illuminated the small room and the soft chirping of the birds caused Sakura's eyes to flutter open and wake with a start. She rubbed her eyes to get rid of the sleepiness and was not surprised to find Itachi sleeping beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist and providing her warmth. They have been staying with Satoshi for almost two weeks and they have decided to leave tomorrow. The lack of growth in Sakura's stomach will probably make Satoshi suspicious if they stayed with him any longer. During that time she has gotten a better view of her two captors and she found that being in their presence was not as uncomfortable as it was in the beginning, in fact she has gotten used to them being around that she quite enjoyed their company. Of course, she won't admit it to them and she was quite sure that the feeling is mutual too.

Kisame enjoyed teasing her, mentioning about how he looked forward to seeing the little miracle in eight months' time and how 'his little mouse' will be as big as a whale in the coming months. There was no doubt that Kisame enjoyed her predicament a little too much. In a way, he reminded her of Naruto.

Itachi, on the other hand, was a totally different story, she thought as she turned around to face the sleeping Uchiha beside her. To her immense surprise, sleeping on the same bed with him wasn't as unnerving as it was before. He rarely spoke, but when he does even a single sentence would mean a lot of different things. And acting like a besotted wife to him seemed like second nature to her, there were even times when she sought out his company. Thankfully, he heeded to her request without question. Kisame even mentioned that if he didn't know them personally, he would think that they were indeed a real couple.

Breaking away from her thoughts, she stared at the sleeping face of Itachi. It was the first time she ever saw him asleep and, despite the stress lines on his face, he looked at peace. It reminded her that just like anyone else, Uchiha Itachi is still a human being despite the crimes he had committed. Then her eyes lingered on his arm that was wrapped around her waist. It was weird but sleeping on the same bed with him for almost two weeks taught her that Itachi was quite cuddly while asleep. There were several incidents when she would get up out of bed only to be dragged back again by his strong arms. It didn't bother her, though.

She was about to reach out and tuck a stray strand of hair away from his face when the sound of the door banged open reached her ears and jolted Itachi awake. "Good morning, love birds!" greeted Kisame as he entered the room with an unusually large smile on his face. "It's a lovely day, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and Satoshi, our wonderful landlord, has prepared us a sumptuous breakfast!"

To her surprise the shark-like Akatsuki member was a morning person. It didn't matter if it was sunny or raining, Kisame always had a smile on his face every morning. It was quite annoying at times and she couldn't blame Itachi for throwing a kunai towards his partner. In fact, if he hadn't done that before her then it would've been her kunai embedded on the wooden door an inch away from Kisame's blue face.

Sakura smirked at the unsurprised Kisame, that blatant attack was more than enough proof of who was really the one in charge between the two Akatsuki members. Kisame, annoyed by her gesture, stepped forward and took hold of their blanket. If it wasn't for Itachi's hard glare, Kisame would have lifted the blanket and thus left their clothed bodies to shiver in the chilly air of winter.

"Kisame," called Itachi, his glare never fading "get out."

"Come on, Itachi. Satoshi will scold me if both of you won't get up for breakfast. And besides," said Kisame as he grinned at Sakura who was staring at him through half-lidded eyes "the baby has to eat, right?"

The shark-like man then stepped backwards to evade Sakura's incoming kick to his stomach, his grin widening at seeing her reaction to his teasing. The sight of her glaring back at him amused him more. "Hahaha… Got you there, little mouse."

Sakura stared at the large man questioningly and then it dawned to her that her failed attack on Kisame caused her to get out of bed, just what the large man has been aiming all along. She groaned in annoyance as she grabbed her sweater from the chair and put it around herself. At the same time, Itachi decided that it was indeed time to get out of bed.

Kisame smiled upon knowing that he has completed his task of waking up the two for breakfast. Maybe Satoshi will give him a larger serving of breakfast for that. A large part of the food was always saved for Sakura. The older man always told her that a pregnant woman like her should eat plenty because she is now eating for two. It didn't pose a problem for him if Sakura can manage to eat her share, however she can't. Her share of food was too big, there was no way she could eat it all by herself, even if there really was a baby inside her. Some might think of it as sheepish but for Kisame, when it all comes down to it, eating plenty is very essential. One cannot have full control over his chakra if his stomach is empty.

Disregarding those thoughts, Kisame made his way downstairs followed shortly by Sakura and Itachi. The fact that they were holding each other's hands as they went down didn't bother them at all.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hello! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Some parts of this chapter are from the original story "Game of Seduction" by Crimsonsnowflake, sadly she has deleted the story from her account here but I'm trying my best to rise up to her expectations.

Anyway, thank you for all the support! I was really overwhelmed with the amount of people who included Unknowingly to their favorites and subscribed to story alert. I really appreciate it and I hope that you'll stay with me until the last chapter!

If you have any questions, I'm just a PM away!

It's always nice to get a review, it's a way for me to know what I need to improve on, so please have some time to write a review.

Thank you and see you in the next chapter!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	3. Chapter 2: Prelude to Inexplicable Event

**Unknowingly**

**Chapter 2: Prelude to Inexplicable Events**

A busty blonde woman reclined her chair backwards as she indulged at the early morning peace and quiet of her village. Sipping her hot coffee, she closed her eyes and relished the few minutes she had before paperwork start to pile up on her desk and different shinobi come in to her office to hand in their reports or to ask for a mission.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Konoha _is _her village, the same village founded by her grandfather many years ago, she mused. On her ascend to the throne as the Fifth Hokage, she made a promise to protect the village and its people from any harm, even at the cost of her own life. Although her life got extremely complicated the moment she accepted the offer, there was no doubt that Tsunade loved her duty as the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure.

Looking through her drawer, Tsunade fished out a scroll which contained information about a businessman named Katsuo Kobayashi gathered by her apprentice, Sakura. She had second thoughts about sending her pink-haired student on that solo mission at first, but she convinced herself that Sakura needed more experience in being alone in a mission. She has done a handful of solo missions before but they were all petty missions anyway. The last scroll Sakura sent was two weeks ago, and it seemed that she was nearly finished at that time. However, after that they haven't heard anything from her. Tsunade had asked teams who were at that area or were just passing through if they have seen her apprentice but none of them confirmed seeing her. The Godaime was starting to worry, it had been a month since she last saw her apprentice.

A knock at the door broke her from her thoughts and she gulped down the rest of her coffee. "Enter!" she yelled as she prepared herself for another busy day ahead.

"Good morning, baa-chan!" yelled the ever exuberant Naruto as he and his master, Jiraiya, stepped in at the office. The two of them were out of the village for two months for Naruto's training, Jiraiya also used that time to keep tabs on their former teammate, Orochimaru, and make sure that he wasn't plotting anything against Konoha.

The frog sannin waved at her and Tsunade waved back in return "Any news on Orochimaru?" she asked.

"Not much" replied Jiraiya in his usual cheerful tone "But it seems that he keeps on getting weaker and weaker"

"That was to be expected, his technique is fading and he will have to switch to another body soon" commented Tsunade then took notice of the sudden change in the usually cheerful blonde boy.

"Anyway," said Naruto abruptly, not wanting to probe on that matter any further "Where's Sakura-chan? I haven't seen her since I left for training. She promised to treat me at Ichiraku when I return home."

Tsunade regarded the young boy with a stare, not knowing how to deliver the news of Sakura's disappearance. The kyuubi container tends to act rashly when it comes to the people closest to him and that was the last thing the blonde woman wanted for him after just returning home.

All of a sudden, three hurried knocks where heard on the door, signifying its emergency. After hearing the confirmation from the Hokage, the door opened and it revealed Shizune who was panting heavily. Tsunade let her apprentice catch her breath first before asking what happened.

"We have news about Sakura!" exclaimed Shizune in between breaths.

"What's this all about? What happened to Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto, sensing something amiss involving his beloved teammate. Tsunade directed a stare at him that told him to shut up and let Shizune continue.

"Apparently, one of our Anbu units spotted Sakura in a small village fifty miles away from Stone Country when they were passing by. However, she was not alone. She was accompanied by two men" said Shizune, the look on her eyes conveying the gravity of the matter, as she handed a photo that the Anbu took of Sakura with two men at each of her sides.

"Those two men were believed to be Hoshigaki Kisame, missing nin from the Mist, and Uchiha Itachi, missing nin from the Leaf. Both of which belong to the criminal organization, Akatsuki"

Shock was clearly written on the faces of Tsunade, Jiraiya and Naruto. Only one question crossed their minds at that time, why was Sakura with the Akatsuki?

* * *

Hatake Kakashi and Nara Shikamaru stood before the Hokage, just as shocked as she, Jiraiya and Naruto had been when they heard the news about the missing medic. Sakura's two senseis and her boisterous blonde teammate confirmed that Sakura was really the person captured in the photo.

"I don't get it. Why is she with the Akatsuki? What do they want from her?" asked Naruto, the worry for his pink-haired friend evident on his voice.

Tsunade stared at the strategist, asking for his opinion on the matter. "Tsunade-sama, is it possible that they took her for her medical skills?" voiced out Shikamaru, this was the first thing that crossed his mind upon hearing the news.

The blonde woman nodded her head in agreement, she had thought the same as Shikamaru earlier but decided to hear other's opinions before coming to a conclusion. The fact that she and Shikamaru thought of the same reason held a high possibility of it being true.

"Yes, especially since Sakura is an exceptional medic nin and has developed a name for herself" answered the Hokage as she eyed the photo that was laid on her desk once again.

"The last time I faced Uchiha Itachi in battle, his vision was already deteriorating because of the sharingan" commented Kakashi, a frown showing through his masked face.

The Godaime nodded her head again, understanding where Kakashi was getting at. Yes, that would seem to be the obvious answer but knowing the intellectual capacity of the Uchiha clan murderer, there must be other reasons for him to take her apprentice under their captivity. After all, he was not given the title of 'Uchiha prodigy' for nothing.

"The enemy we're dealing against is far too dangerous," trailed off Tsunade then directed a meaningful stare at the agitated Naruto "so we'll have to think of a strategy first before acting out."

"What do you mean by that, baa-chan!?" retorted Naruto, not being able to hold back his composure anymore "Sakura-chan is out there with two dangerous men keeping her captive, and you're saying we just have to sit here!?"

Tsunade didn't really want to start her day negatively, but the blonde boy was just asking for it. She pounded her fists on her desk, using them as leverage to stand up from her chair. "And you think that this doesn't affect me at all!?"

Every pair of eyes inside the room stared back at the angered woman but Tsunade paid no mind to them "Naruto, she is my student! My apprentice! I'm the one who sent her on that solo mission that led to her being captured. Now, how does that make me feel?!"

Naruto didn't dare answer back or even face the Hokage and instead let his gaze fall to the floor. It was foolish of him to only think about what he had to say on the matter.

Tsunade let her anger cool down a bit before she settled back to her chair "Gather as much information as you can about Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame and give it to Shikamaru. If you don't have any questions, you're dismissed."

The Godaime watched as everyone left her office one by one then rested her face on the palms of her hands. She knew her apprentice very well to know that she won't give up easily, but everything changed when the Akatsuki got involved. She only hoped Sakura could hold on a little more, because there was no way Tsunade could leave her daughter figure to the dangerous clutches of the Akatsuki.

* * *

The sun shone brightly in the morning sky, very much unlike the sky these past few days because of the passing storm. Four figures exited the small house, one was sad and the other three were eager to go on their next trip. Satoshi Tanaka suppressed another long sigh as he escorted his three guests for the past two weeks out to the gates of their small village. Although he was annoyed with the two males who did nothing except to slouch down and enjoy their free accommodations, the presence of the pregnant Sakura and hearing laughter within the confines of his small house was more than enough payment for his services to them.

"Can you not delay your trip for another day or so?" asked Satoshi with hope burning in his eyes as he stared at the married couple.

Sakura smiled sweetly at the generous old man who housed them for two weeks "Thank you for the kind offer, Satoshi-san, but we must get going now. As I told you earlier, my mother has yet to know about my pregnancy and I really can't wait to see the look on her face once I tell her the good news."

Satoshi sighed again and a smile crept up on his wrinkled face "It's alright, but you better promise me that you will come back here with the child."

"Of course!" answered Sakura cheerfully, her smile never faltering. Itachi placing his hand around her waist didn't surprise her at all as she turned around to see his face.

"We must go" stated the raven-haired young man as he smiled lovingly towards his wife. Sakura smiled back at him and together with Kisame, they bid farewell to Satoshi.

* * *

"So, where are we heading to this time?" asked Sakura as she leaned her head on Itachi's chest, taking note that his arm was still wrapped around her petite waist. Even though they were now walking through the forest, they were still within the vicinity of the small village so the cover must still be kept up.

"Who knows…" trailed off Itachi, not even sparing her a look. Annoyance built up inside of her as the three of them trudged through the foliage of the forest. Here he was again, not disclosing anything to her when it has come to her attention that her cooperation is very essential to them. Yet, she has decided not to push him for answers, she has spent an awful two weeks with him to know that pushing his buttons wrong might prove to be dangerous.

The rest of the trip went on in silence, each of them in their own thoughts. Even the outspoken Kisame was silent which was very unusual of him, Sakura mused. Itachi and Kisame not telling her anything about their plans made her assume things. Itachi's body contact with hers still hasn't changed so she assumed that they were still remotely near the village they had stayed in or that they were nearing another village.

Suddenly, Itachi slipped his hand that was keeping her secured on her waist away and kept a good distance from her. Sakura directed a strange look at him and although he could see what she was doing, he chose to ignore it. Sakura told herself that the act served its purpose and now that there was nobody keeping a watchful eye on them, there was no purpose in keeping up their cover.

Kisame took notice of the awkwardness between his partner and the pinkette and it amused him. "Why, little mouse? Are you missing Itachi's touches already?" he asked as a wide grin appeared on his face, showing his razor-sharp teeth.

Sakura resisted the urge to land a kick on him and instead settled on giving him a hard glare, inflicting physical pain was against the rules anyway. And besides, her body was just used to him being around that when he left it sought him out. It was just her body and not her whole self, she kept on replaying in her head. And in time she was sure she will get used to not having him around her too much, which was a good thing because there was no way she'll be their captive for the rest of her lonely life, even if they have grown quite close to each other.

Sakura was too absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even sense her companions stop moving and almost collided with Itachi's back. She stared up at him questioningly and then she felt it, three chakra signatures that were advancing on them in a rapid pace. They were concealing their chakra but not hard enough to get pass through Sakura's keen ability to sense chakra signatures. She looked up at both Kisame and Itachi and noticed how relaxed they were even at the knowledge of enemy coming to face them. She guessed that living a life of a missing nin did that to you.

Within seconds a barrage of shuriken flew towards them and they evaded it with ease. Kisame swung his sword forward, ready to take care of the nuisance and Itachi just stood there as if he didn't care while Sakura tried to locate where their enemies were lurking.

"Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi, I'm sure capturing you would make us millionaires, after all you two are both listed in the Bingo Book" said a man with a raspy voice as he came out of the tree he was hiding and revealed himself. He was a middle-aged man and his appearance told them that he and, probably, his friends, who were still hiding, were rogue ninjas.

"But what's this?" asked the man, who was probably their leader, as he directed his gaze at Sakura. "Why are you with these missing nins? A young lady like you shouldn't be in a place like this in the first place."

Then Sakura felt his stare grew more malicious and directed towards the lovely contours of her body "Or better yet, you should come with us. It's been a while since my men and I had female company and we've been feeling very lonely lately" he said as he broke out in a mischievous laughter, pissing off Sakura further.

It took an immeasurable amount of resistance for Sakura to stay still and not beat the bloody lights out of him. But what can she expect? He was just like Katsuo and all the men that made her believe that all of them cannot be trusted.

All of a sudden, the laughter broke caused by Itachi's hand grasping the leader's vulnerable throat and lifting him up in the air. The so-called leader of the little rogue team didn't even have time to form hand seals before he was lifted up in the air, how pathetic.

Grateful for the fact that his back was facing his companions, Itachi's grip on the rogue leader tightened, his normally cool onyx eyes unconsciously turning to a raged sharingan as his victim's face was slowly losing its healthy color. He didn't know what came over him but he felt a strange feeling when he saw how this pathetic excuse for a ninja regarded Sakura. Without even thinking, he launched himself forward to where he was standing right now, it was as if his body moved on its own.

The rustling from behind and from the side signalled the incoming attack of his two companions and Sakura and Kisame moved out of the way in time to avoid the futile attack. Kisame didn't even bat an eye as he sliced the rogue nin who came to attack him. Excited to finally get some action after two weeks of not doing so, Sakura landed a chakra-laden punch to the ground, causing her enemy to lose his balance. Taking note that she has limited chakra to use, courtesy of Itachi and his chakra-binding technique, Sakura threw two chakra scalpels on her enemy's chest, hitting the vital points and causing his immediate death. She didn't even have to look around her surroundings to know that the other two rogue nins were already disposed.

Without a word, Itachi moved forward and motioned his companions to do so, all the while making sure that his earlier rage was already gone. He didn't know what compelled him to be in such a state of anger. That was the first time he felt that way ever since he left Konoha after the massacre. He then looked back behind him and caught a glimpse of the pink-haired medic. Now that everything is clear to him, he remembered the leader saying such rude things towards her and that's when his anger started to build up. He didn't really know why but maybe he hasn't truly let go of the loving husband façade he has been acting when they were still with Satoshi, maybe acting that way towards her took its toll on him.

Perhaps, keeping her is an unwise decision after all, Itachi mused.

"Don't worry about those petty rogue nins, little mouse. We face them everyday" commented Kisame in a mischievously cheerful voice as they continued on their journey.

"I guess so. You can expect those when you're always on the run" mentioned Sakura, finding herself not at all bothered at the knowledge of the vast amount of danger just lurking around the corner, especially since she's travelling with a pair of missing nins. The life of a shinobi is like that, very much identical to the life of a missing nin, but the latter is more complicated especially since their villages are no longer there to provide them protection.

"Those idiots know nothing about becoming a missing nin. That served them right!" said Kisame out loud and a little laugh escaped Sakura's mouth. He was certainly proud of being a missing nin!

The remainder of their trip was spent with Kisame telling stories about his encounters with other shinobi and his experiences with being a missing nin. Sakura was glad for Kisame's stories because she'll probably go insane if the silence kept on going. The both of them were too absorbed in their conversation that they failed to sense the dark aura coming from the raven-haired missing nin.

* * *

Sakura sat on one of the chairs in the lobby of the inn as Itachi and Kisame went to get a room. They kept the same cover once they got near this village, that she and Itachi are a married couple and Kisame is a family friend. Unlike the last village they were in, this village is bigger and held many tourists. The people in this village didn't stare at them like they were some species of aliens and she was glad for that, it simply meant that she didn't have to worry about blowing up their cover.

Itachi must have realized that too for he wasn't acting like the loving husband he used to be towards her. Of course, they still held hands and he still held her close to him but Sakura felt like they were forced, so much unlike the way he was holding her when they were in the last village they've been to. But Sakura didn't have the nerve to ask him what was going on, Itachi was probably irritated and she has known not to behave rashly when he's in that kind of mood.

"We're going, love" called Itachi as he held out his hand to her. Sakura just stared at his face for a moment before she accepted his outstretched hand. They were joined by Kisame shortly and the three of them went upstairs to their room.

The room was big, big enough for the three of them, Sakura thought to herself as she inspected their room. There was a bathroom, which had a decent-sized bath tub for goodness' sake, two single beds, a big window, overlooking the commercial district of the village, and a nice heating system especially designed for winter.

"You," said Itachi as he stared at Sakura who in return was staring at him in a confused manner "will sleep on the floor."

Surprise was clearly written on her face and she managed to ask him why.

"Because I said so" remarked Itachi, not bothered by her reaction at all, as he sat on the corner of his bed. Sakura was ready to retaliate and, if possible, land a hard punch on that pretty face of his when Kisame decided to intervene for the better.

"There, there, little mouse, you can have my bed if you want to" he said as he held back Sakura through her shoulders.

"No, Kisame" said Itachi as he regarded his partner with an even glare "she _will_ sleep on the floor."

Kisame just laughed nervously and casted a glance towards her that told her 'sorry'. Sakura, who clearly didn't have a choice on the matter, just glared at the Uchiha who was glaring evenly at her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Being so mean all of a sudden!" she spat out, her glare towards him never fading. In a blink of an eye, Itachi was standing right in front of her.

"You are our prisoner. Anything you say doesn't matter" he stated, his eyes piercing through her.

Sakura just stood there, feeling like a cornered mouse in front of a huge cat. Itachi was right, the fact remains that she was their captive, whether she liked it or not. It was foolish of her to assume that they have gotten into friendlier terms with each other during her time with them. In the end, they were still missing nins who betrayed their own villages and killed countless lives just for the fun of it. If anything, she should be glad that, despite the reputation of her captors, she was still treated with modesty. She has seen how Konoha handled their captives and she didn't even want to compare her village's way of treating their prisoners to her situation right now.

Feeling defeated, Sakura turned and went to the bathroom. At least she wouldn't see his face there.

* * *

The shade of the half-moon illuminated the sky full of stars as the gentle breeze of winter passed through the small village. It was in the middle of the night and most people around the neighborhood were probably resting their tired bodies for another productive day ahead. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle hum of the breeze as tree branches and leaves danced to its rhythm.

To put it simply, it was a peaceful night, in fact too peaceful for his liking, Satoshi Tanaka thought as he lay down on his bed. He got used to the noises caused by his guests for the past two weeks and now that they were no longer here, his house felt like it always used to be since his wife passed away, empty. His two sons were busy living their lives to its fullest and starting their own families. There was no doubt that Satoshi was very proud of his children, but still it wouldn't hurt to come and visit once in a while, would it?

Telling himself that thinking about his sons will just make him sad, Satoshi deviated from his earlier thoughts and instead thought about his guests who left two days ago. The large man named Kisame was always the humorous type. He would always make light of the situation whenever Itachi and Sakura were quarrelling. However, he doesn't seem to know the boundary of privacy so there were times when he 'accidentally' spilled a secret or two about the couple. Nevertheless, he was fun to be around, thought Satoshi as he stared at the white ceiling, a smile forming on his wrinkled face.

Itachi, now that's a different story. He was quite the silent type, he rarely spoke and he held an aura around himself that kept anyone near him away. Although there were times when he vocally expressed his doubts about Itachi's feelings towards Sakura (he only did it for Itachi to take the hint and care more for his wife), there was no doubt that Itachi truly cared and treasured his wife. He felt foolish and embarrassed when he got suspicious one night and checked them in their room. That proved his suspicions wrong but still it was improper of him to just enter their room without permission, even if they were his guests.

And then there was Sakura, oh how she reminded him of the daughter he could only wish to have. He was most happy whenever they engaged in small conversations which lead to topics he hasn't thought they would discuss. She said that she was only twenty years of age, yet she talked like she had the life experience of a fifty-year old woman. She was smart, thoughtful and he admired her patience in dealing with her husband, when it was supposed to be the other way around with her being pregnant. She was truly a kind-hearted person.

Satoshi's smile widened as a thought crossed his mind. Itachi and Sakura were really different from each other. Itachi was always serious and quiet while Sakura was cheerful and outgoing. It was a wonder for him as to how two people with such different personalities ended up together. But then who was he to question fate? Itachi and Sakura were a testament as to how love actually works.

Happy with his bedtime musings, Satoshi closed his eyes as he relaxed more on his comfy bed. He still had a lot of things to do in the morning and it wouldn't do well for him if he overslept.

An hour passed by and the village was still peaceful, with most of its residents already retired in their beds. However, the serene atmosphere changed in just a snap as a line of houses was suddenly engulfed in flames. Quickly, the residents escaped their burning houses, bringing with them as much belongings as they can. Shortly after that, another line of houses exploded in flames and the small peaceful village was peaceful no more.

The alarm bells were heard all throughout the village, indicating evacuation for all. Satoshi sat upright as he heard the alarm and went to check out what was happening through his window. Shock and fear flooded through every nerve of his body as he took in the sight he was seeing before him. The village was in total chaos! Residents were running, with no particular direction, with their primary goal to get as far away as possible from the inferno that were their houses and save themselves. Some houses even collapsed from the damage it sustained and Satoshi forced himself not to think about the unfortunate people who didn't even get the chance to leave their houses.

Loud knocks were heard at his front door and, with as much speed as he could muster, Satoshi made his way downstairs to open the door.

"Satoshi-san! We have to leave now!" a young man by the name of Seiji, a neighbor who was living just around the corner, said in between breaths, his facial expression denoting just how serious the situation was. The young man was a very nice person, there was never a time when he rejected the older man when he asked for help. Without a second thought, Satoshi went with Seiji with nothing more than the clothes on his body. He had managed to thank his neighbor who went out of his way to save him as they were making their way towards the evacuation area and also managed to ask him what was going on. Apparently, their village was being attacked by unknown forces for unknown reasons. However, their village is small and is not a shinobi village, what could they possibly be after? Asked Satoshi to himself as he and Seiji made it into the evacuation area.

It was unnerving to just sit there and wait for the village chieftain's orders. The attack was truly unexpected seeing as they were not a shinobi village. The village was peaceful and there were no attacks for as long as Satoshi can remember. So they were left paralyzed in a situation like this.

All of a sudden a dark figure moved out of the shadows and appeared right before them. It was a tall man with dark hair framing his pale face. A black teardrop was painted under his right eye and his lips were painted black. He tilted his white hat to the side as a frown made its way to his painted face.

"Oh! I didn't know you were holding a get-together party. You didn't even invite me" said the painted man then suddenly his frown turned into a wide grin "But that doesn't matter now, does it? I'm not here to play foolish games with you. All I want are answers to my questions."

"Who are you and why are you attacking our village!?" yelled the chieftain, no longer able to keep his anger towards the attacker at bay.

However, the chieftain's display of anger only seemed to increase the painted man's amusement further and his abnormally wide grin widened even further, baring his row of white teeth.

"I'm just a traveller searching for a certain treasure," he then glared at the middle-aged man who dared to rise up and yell at him like that "Now, will you cooperate with me and answer my questions?"

Suddenly yells were heard and a bunch of men ran towards the attacker of their village, ready to strike with their weapons of forks, hoes and axes. Without much effort at all, Yukio raised his right hand in the direction of his attackers and a harsh wind sent them to the thick forest surrounding the small village with great force.

At that sight, people started running to get as far away as possible from the man. Satoshi stood there in fear while the rest of the village people kept on running around with the goal of not being the next target of the unknown attacker. The old man flinched as he heard the painted man laugh his insides out, as if the sight of the people in chaos was the most hilarious thing he had ever witnessed. Fear filled his entire body and Satoshi hardly noticed the forest around them burning and the horrified screams of the villagers.

Yukio let out the laughter he has been trying hard to keep all this time since he went and set flames to the little village. It was so entertaining to see people, no matter the age or gender, scream their lungs out and run for their lives. Although he was used to it by now, the chill and excitement he always gets upon seeing pitiful people trying their hardest to escape and survive is simply too hard to resist.

"Satoshi-san!" yelled Seiji as he took notice of the unmoving man. This caused the old man to finally break away from his trance and he regarded Seiji with a worried look.

"Satoshi? That's the name those people told me earlier" mumbled Yukio to himself as another grin appeared on his painted face. During his earlier attack, he had managed to politely ask, as politely as a notorious shinobi such as himself can be, some of the residents if they have indeed seen the girl he has been looking for, his doll. But the only response he got was to ask a certain 'Satoshi' about her whereabouts. Yukio admitted to himself that he wasn't really a patient person so upon answering his question, those villagers were forced to take their last breath. What he did was a noble thing, really, Yukio mused to himself. He gave them a quick death instead of a slow and agonizing one they were to experience if they stayed on the land of the living a little longer.

Eyeing his prey, Yukio appeared right in front of the old man named Satoshi in a split second. The young man, who was obviously worried for the older man, fled right away and Satoshi was left alone with the demented man who set his small village on fire.

"I've heard a lot about you tonight, my dear Satoshi" said Yukio as he patted Satoshi's wrinkled face with his cold hand, sending shivers down the old man's spine.

"I believe you hold all the answers to my questions."

Satoshi's eyes widen in complete shock and fear and all the words that came out of Yukio's mouth was downed by the heavy thumping of his own heart. Never in his fifty eight years of existence had he felt such enormous amount of fear circulating through every nerve of his body. He always told himself that he was an old man and came to accept the fact that death will come to meet him soon, with such a frail heart that he developed through the years, but for the first time in his life he feared dying, not in the way he had always thought it could be but dying in the hands of an unknown man.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" said Yukio, a sadistic smile marring his face as he put both of his hands on the older man's shoulders, preventing any attempt of escape "Have you seen a pink-haired lady go by this village?"

"You mean Sakura?" asked Satoshi without even thinking. The question 'what business does this dangerous man have with the innocent Sakura?' lingered in his mind.

Upon hearing his reply, Yukio's smile widened even further "Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to ask for her name the last time we met. But the name does suit her, with her pink hair and all. Does this mean that you've seen her?" he asked as his eyes gave a pleading look for the old man in question to say yes.

Satoshi just stared wide-eyed at the man who was bombarding him with questions involving Sakura. He was having second thoughts about answering his questions, this man clearly had ill intentions on her and judging from the way he attacked the small village just to get info about her, he will stop at nothing to get what he wants, which is the pink-haired pregnant lady he had come to know.

Yukio sensed his captive's hesitation and his eyes shown with menace as he directed a glare at the older man "Spit it out, old man. I'm not a very patient person."

With his heart beating faster and faster by the second, Satoshi kept his eyes on the man hovering over him. From the way he had set fire to the village, leaving innocent people to die without much thought, Satoshi assumed that being left alive after answering his questions might not be a possibility. He was not so oblivious to realize that this painted man enjoyed other's misery.

Suddenly, the hands that were resting on his shaking shoulders started tightening its grip and Satoshi can feel the attacker's nails digging deep into his shoulders and leaving a trail of blood. He stared back at the grinning man before him as it felt like his heart will be exploding inside him anytime soon from utmost fear.

"I WANT ANSWERS, YOU USELESS THING!" yelled Yukio in sheer anger, which was something not really becoming of him.

"I…"

"Yes?" said Yukio in response, his eyes shining with menace as he waited eagerly for the answer he has been longing for all along.

"I…"

All of a sudden, Satoshi felt like the air was brutally taken away from his lungs and his heart felt like a ticking bomb, ready to explode anytime. He clutched his chest but it did nothing to alleviate the pain he was feeling. It felt like a thousand needles were embedded on his chest, particularly his heart, and the only thing he could think about was the pain.

And that was the last thing in his mind as he fell lifeless to the ground with a loud thud.

Yukio just stared at the new corpse by his feet and nudged it with his left foot. All of his suspicions about the old man still being alive were proven false when the said old man didn't move a muscle at the rough contact with his foot.

At this, Yukio left the clearing as he breathed out a sigh of defeat. He was so close to finding out the answers to his questions, too bad the only person who held the answers died a little too soon. But his trip to the now destroyed village wasn't in vain, though, he had managed to know his doll's name. It really does suit her, maybe he'll still call her 'Sakura' when he turns her into his little pink doll.

Out of the blue, a menacing laughter echoed through the burning forest, overpowering the screams of the villagers as they try to find their way out through the burning maze. He had managed to go this far and every step he took has lead him closer to his most precious doll.

The painted man didn't care how many villages he'll destroy, as long as it will lead him to the most beautiful creature he has ever seen, his most precious pink doll.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hello! I'm sorry I took too long in updating. I had to catch up with the things life was throwing at me and there's nothing I can complain about it. I'm enjoying my new job now and writing/reading before going to bed has been part of my life.

If you have any questions, don't be shy to let me know. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Please review, it motivates me to write more and work harder.

And as always, thank you for all the support!

Don't forget to write a review after reading!

See you in the next chapter!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


	4. Chapter 3: In The Darkness, A Brim Of Li

**Unknowingly**

_Warning: Contains strong language_

**Chapter 3: In The Darkness, A Brim Of Light**

Itachi heaved another sigh for the hundredth time that day as he turned to his side and regarded the sleeping girl on the floor with a bored stare. He knew that he should be sleeping now in order to have the required energy for their travel tomorrow, but his thoughts kept him awake all night, thoughts that he hadn't discussed with himself until now.

His attention drifted back to his sleeping captive on the space between his and Kisame's bed on the floor as she turned to her side probably for the tenth time that night. It seemed that she was having an unpleasant dream, a nightmare perhaps. Well, good for her, he mused as he kept a watchful eye on the pink-haired lady.

They have been staying in this inn for a day and a half and will be leaving tomorrow morning. He admitted to treating her in a little unkind way since they arrived at this village. It was strange but no matter how rude he acted towards his supposed wife, he could never bring himself to physically hurt her. He had tried to choke her one night, just to prove to himself that he can do it and should not feel remorse whatsoever in what he was about to do, but when his hand was only an inch away from her vulnerable throat his hand went numb and he couldn't bring himself to breach that gap between them. Was it just him or was there an invisible shield that protected her from him?

But the more important question was 'Is he going soft with her?'

The former Konoha nin shook his head negatively at the exact moment that question popped in his head. No, he can't afford to be soft towards her. Even if they were acting as a happily married couple, in reality she was his captive and he could do anything he wished to her. Weird feelings shouldn't get in the way of that.

Dismissing the thoughts in his head, Itachi turned his back to her and faced the wall. He was already thinking bizarre thoughts and it only proved that he should really go to sleep now. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep when he heard ragged breathing coming from the sleeping captive. It lasted for about a minute, with her squirming around in her makeshift bed and with him trying his best to ignore all of that, when she finally sat up and awoken from her horrible dream.

Realizing that that was only a dream, Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief as she cupped her cheeks with her palms and stared hard at her wrists. She rarely had nightmares and there was no doubt that the one she had just now will stay with her for quite a while.

In her dream, she stood in the center with her friends and comrades circling around her, directing accusing glares toward her. All of a sudden she heard someone yell 'traitor' and their glare intensified. Another yell was heard and one by one her friends and comrades started calling her 'traitor'. Having people close to you accuse you of being a traitor was like a stab to the heart and Sakura felt tears stinging her eyes, threatening to fall. Despite what she was going through, the pink haired medic fought hard no to cry in front of them. It wasn't right for them to accuse her of being a traitor when she hasn't done anything to betray her village. If they thought that she was with the Akatsuki on her own accord then they were clearly mistaken.

Then suddenly, she saw blood gushing out from her wrists. As calmly as she could, she tried to summon healing chakra but all of her efforts were gone to waste because her chakra was totally drained. She kept telling herself that she was strong, if she hadn't then she wouldn't be where she was right now, but at that moment Sakura felt like the weakest person to ever walk on the face of the Earth. So she let herself fall to the floor, her own pool of blood staining her porcelain skin and making her naturally pink hair fade to the color of her blood. She stared at the nothingness above her as the faces of the people she loved started to blur. Then just like magic, she saw a pair of arms slowly lift her from her sorrow. Through her blurry vision, the only thing she could make out was a pair of eyes, eyes that seemed familiar and shone with love and sincerity.

Sakura sat up eagerly from her place in the floor and gulped down a glass of water. She surveyed the room and was thankful that none of her captors were awake. She wouldn't hear the end of it once Kisame knew how she reacted after that terrible dream and Itachi would keep on saying that 'nightmares are for the weak'.

She went back to her place on the floor after making sure that she has calmed down and brought the thin blanket up to her chin. She was too tired from their trip to even complain about the blanket, that was less than appropriate for this kind of weather, handed to her, of course, by the stoic Uchiha.

"You had a nightmare" stated Itachi all of a sudden which caused Sakura's closed eyes to open widely. She was thankful that she has already calmed down or else she might have jumped at his sudden remark.

"Yes, I had and I'll appreciate it if we don't talk about it anymore" she replied as she composed herself and directed her gaze to the blank ceiling. She had to remind herself that Itachi is a light sleeper so she shouldn't be surprised if something similar to this were to happen again.

Silence ensued between them, the only sound that could be heard were Kisame's snoring and the heating system of the room. "Sleep, we'll be leaving in the morning" commanded Itachi after the few moments of silence.

Sakura didn't respond and instead curled herself into a ball and clutched the blanket tightly around her shaking frame, despite the heating system of the room it was still cold. Suddenly, she felt a light weight draped on her and she sat up to examine it. A smile decorated her face as she realized that it was a blanket, a fluffy one like the one she used to always carry during missions. She looked up at Itachi but his back was facing her. With a smirk, she laid down on her bedding and wrapped the warm blanket around herself.

"Itachi, you bastard" she managed to say before she closed her eyes and drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

* * *

"Someone seems to be in a good mood" remarked Kisame as they made their way out of the busy streets of the village. In response, the lone female of the group flashed him a smile and continued walking hand in hand with the raven haired missing nin. Sakura didn't exactly know why she was in that kind of mood, but perhaps it was because she had a well-rested sleep last night, something that she wasn't able to experience ever since they left Satoshi's village, and although it hurt her to admit, it was courtesy of the blanket Itachi had given her. It kept her warm all throughout the cold winter night and the thought that Itachi still had a little bit of concern towards her, despite the way he had been treating her lately, made her happy.

In relation to her good mood, Sakura hummed a happy song along the way and it was safe to assume that her good mood was like a contagious disease that affected both of her captors, although with Itachi being his usual stoic self she couldn't really tell.

Out of the blue, she saw a patch of blonde hair that seemed all too familiar from the corner of her eyes and she stopped abruptly, letting go of Itachi's hand in the process.

It couldn't possibly be him, could it? Their location was at least a five days' worth of travel from Konoha and the village, although larger than the one they've been to recently, doesn't hold anything special for anyone in Konoha to take interest in. And besides, wasn't he supposed to be away with his master, Jiraiya-sama, for his training?

She looked around frantically as questions flooded her mind, questions that she knew will only be answered once she confirmed if it was really her blonde teammate that she saw earlier with her own eyes. Why would he be here of all places? What would Itachi and Kisame do once they see the kyuubi container that their organization has been trying to capture all along?

She had seen what happened to Gaara when the Akatsuki extracted the Ichibi from him and the thought of Naruto going through the same ordeal as the Kazekage made her insides cringe with utmost fear. Sakura deviated from her thoughts quickly, not wanting to dwell on the matter any further.

Instead, she searched her surroundings with eyes like a hawk, eager to catch even just a glimpse of the person she saw earlier. She was already aware of the stares her captors were sending her way but it didn't matter at the moment.

Luck seemed to be on her side because at that moment her eyes caught sight of the person she has been looking for. She didn't waste any more precious time and in a blink of an eye she was beside that person.

"Is there anything I could help you with, Miss?" asked the blonde man as he noticed the intense stare the pink haired lady was giving him. He smiled gingerly at her in hopes of uplifting the visible frown that made its way to her face upon seeing him, but it proved to be unsuccessful.

In a split second, Itachi and Kisame were at her side and the young man looked at them curiously. Instinctively, Itachi wrapped his arm around Sakura's waist "Please forgive my wife for her actions, she is pregnant you see."

"Oh, okay" replied the blonde young man then casted a worried glance at the confused lady before bidding them farewell.

Sakura watched as the young man she thought to be Naruto fade away into the distance. She was both happy and sad at her discovery. Happy because she knew that her beloved teammate is safe somewhere without Itachi and Kisame tailing after him and sad because the young man reminded her so much of him and it made her miss the blonde knucklehead and all her friends back at Konoha.

Itachi then leaned down so that he can whisper into her ear "Let's go". Sakura cringed inwardly at the coldness of his voice, the façade of the loving husband now gone and was replaced with his menacing presence, and she allowed herself to be dragged away from the village by his clutches.

* * *

Silence ensued after the little incident and Itachi and Sakura were back to ignoring each other again. Kisame vented out a long sigh as they hopped from branch to branch, the snow soaking them and watering down their spirits. Both he and Itachi knew why she acted that way two days ago, the young man with the spiky blonde hair reminded her of the kyuubi container who was also her teammate. Although he only saw him once, there was no doubt that the only similarity the young man before and the kyuubi container had was their hairstyles. Aside from that, they looked nothing alike.

He knew Sakura wouldn't appreciate it, but still he felt pity towards the fully capable kunoichi leaping in front of him. The insanity from not seeing her friends for such a long time must have gotten into her. At that thought, Kisame laughed at himself. A missing nin who didn't even took mercy on those he had killed suddenly feeling pity for a girl who simply missed her friends was quite ironic.

The trip went on for another couple of hours, the early evening light of the moon serving as their only guide light, with each of them in their own train of thoughts before they stopped in a clearing with a few trees circling it. Sakura let out a sigh as she relaxed her shoulders and let her bag fall to the forest floor, they have been travelling for two days already with minimal breaks and her limbs were screaming at her for a rest.

"Close your eyes" came the sudden command from Itachi as he stared at her with no emotion whatsoever.

The pinkette stared at him for a few seconds before she gave in to his command and closed her eyes. As much as she wanted to disobey his orders just to annoy him, Sakura knew that it was pointless. She was already tired to even open her mouth and protest. And she knew that it was either she do as what her captor said or they knock her out. As stubborn as she was, she decided to go with the logical answer.

She felt the sudden change of atmosphere around her and it didn't take another second for her to figure it out. They had dispelled some form of genjutsu. The fact that she didn't know the existence of a genjutsu around them, despite being told by Kakashi-sensei that she was a genjutsu-type, didn't faze her. She has spent a long time reading books at the Konoha archive to know that those who bore the sharingan were experts when it came to genjutsu.

"Open your eyes, little mouse, and see where we'll be staying at for the night" announced Kisame and at that Sakura did as what she was told. There stood a run-down cottage in the middle of the forest. It must be a safe house for members of the Akatsuki, Sakura thought to herself as Itachi unlocked the door and let himself in, followed by Kisame and then her.

Like a little child inside a candy store, Sakura looked around the small cottage and tried to take in every detail that she can. On the center of the room stood a fire place, in which Itachi has already lighted with his fire jutsu, a desk was placed at one corner of the room and a large cabinet was placed at the side. There weren't any other furniture or decorations but that was to be expected. Although the cottage looked small from the outside, it was quite spacious on the inside.

Without saying a word, Itachi went to the bathroom that was connected to the cottage and locked himself. The pink-haired medic smirked from her place at the corner of the room, so even the ever impassive Uchiha Itachi is bothered by the cold weather.

"You go and clean around here, little mouse, while I go and get us some grub" said Kisame as he adjusted his cloak around himself and went outside.

Sakura just stood there for a few moments, thinking of where to start with the cleaning. Sure, there wasn't anything much to clean but judging from the dust that has started to pile up, it must have been at least three or four months since the cottage was last used. Deciding not to waste another second, the medic opened the large wooden cabinet and found futons, spare clothes and some cleaning materials. Swiftly, she summoned two bunshins and with that she started cleaning.

Twenty minutes later, Itachi emerged from the bathroom wearing a black shirt with matching dark pants. He found three futons already laid neatly on the dustless floor and their captive sitting near the fire place, warming herself.

"No need to thank me. Kisame went out earlier to get us dinner, he should be getting back by now" said Sakura, not even bothering to look at his direction. Itachi just 'hn-ed' and took a seat across from her. Her head was rested on her bent knees as she stared at the glowing fire. Itachi stared back at her as her head bobbed drowsily. She was already tired from their day-long travel and cleaning the cottage ate away her remaining energy and chakra. She was less strong compared to him and Kisame when it came to endurance, yet she still found a way to catch up with them without complaining and he gave her credit for that.

He then threw the now dry towel at her and it collided with her face. "What the… what's this?" she asked hastily, her sleepy trance now replaced with a surprised one, as she stared hard at the towel Itachi oh so willingly threw at her.

"Clean yourself. Kisame is setting up the genjutsu traps and might take a while to get back" said Itachi as he stared blankly at her.

Sakura did not make any protest as she grabbed the towel and her change of clothes, which she got from the cabinet, and made her way to the bathroom. Steam emerged from it when she opened the door and she quickly closed it, not wanting the steam to escape. She undressed herself hastily and submerged on the bathtub filled with warm water. Letting a sigh escape from her lips, she adjusted her position so that the warm water reached her chin. They may not find another place like this to stay so might as well enjoy it to its fullest.

Telling herself that she should wash her hair from all the dirt and grime from travelling, the pink-haired medic searched the cupboard for shampoo. She found a near-empty bottle of shampoo and a note attached to it. Itachi had probably used it earlier because the letterings on the note were smudged with water.

"Don't use my fucking shampoo, you asshole. Jashin-sama forbids sharing of freakin' hygienic items" she read aloud and completely disregarded what the note meant. The bottle was nearly empty anyway and if ever that person were to find out what happened to his beloved shampoo, she'll just have to point Itachi as the culprit. She poured what was left from the bottle to her hand and started applying it to her shoulder-length pink hair.

She heaved another sigh as she relaxed more in the tub, unaware of the thoughts plaguing the occupant from the other side of the bathroom.

* * *

Another smirk adorned the Uchiha prodigy's usually passive face as he heard another sigh from the Konoha kunoichi who was currently taking a bath. Even though she was a skilled kunoichi who had contributed to the demise of his fellow Akatsuki member from the Sand, when it came to simple matters such as the one she was doing now she was completely naïve. That trait of hers will surely get her in trouble one day. Perhaps, he should teach her how to school her expressions?

Then, like lightning, a thought came to his mind. Why was he even concerned about her? She is their captive, nothing more and nothing less. It wouldn't affect him in any way if ever she was to get in trouble for her own naiveness.

Just then another thought occurred to him. If he was not concerned about her in any way, then what was that feeling he felt when the leader of those rogue nins they encountered at the forest said rude things towards her? Why was he in such a rage when the leader hasn't even laid a finger on her?

Itachi didn't know the reason behind those feelings but one thing was for sure, there is something about Sakura that made him tick.

He abruptly got distracted from his thoughts upon hearing heavy footsteps nearing, obviously Kisame's. He was quite glad for the distraction his partner inadvertently caused because he didn't know what he'll be able to discover if he went along with his thoughts.

The door was kicked open and Kisame let himself inside their rundown shelter, grinning at his partner as he showed him three freshly-caught fishes. He then proceeded to cooking their dinner as he sat beside his partner.

"How was the bath? Good?" asked Kisame after a while as he watched the fish slowly cook. Years of being with Itachi taught him that the raven haired young man was not one to start a conversation.

"Yes" came the Uchiha's curt reply. Kisame nodded in response as he thought of topics to keep the conversation going. He had enough silence for today and it was already driving him insane. A thought occurred to him and he was about to open his mouth to voice it out when a sudden distraction came.

"I can live. I can love. I can reach the heavens above" sung Sakura from her place at the bathroom. As it was, the bathroom wasn't really soundproofed so Itachi and Kisame heard her voice very clearly.

"I can right what is wrong, I can sing just any song" she continued to sing as she grabbed the empty shampoo bottle and used it as a makeshift microphone.

"I can dance. I can fly and touch the rainbow in the sky" by that time Kisame was already struggling in suppressing his laughter. She was clearly out of tune and it sounded as if she was in an argument.

"I can be a good friend. I can love you until the end" she screamed at the top of her lungs and it took an enormous amount of restraint for Kisame to hold in his laughter while Itachi showed a visible smirk, a clear sign of amusement.

Sakura was about to sing the next line when realization dawned upon her. "Oh shit!" she muttered to herself as she hurriedly emerged from the tub, not caring that she was getting the tiled floor wet, and opened the door slightly, just to see if her two companions were there. Her eyes grew wide and she let another swear escape her mouth when she saw that Itachi and Kisame were indeed in the other room, and from the looks on their faces it seemed that they heard her mini concerto loud and clear.

She shut the door and submerged herself again at the tub, her face going red not because of the warm bath but because of embarrassment. Although sad, living all by herself had its benefits, and one of them was that she can freely sing her heart out without anybody hearing it. She knew that she wasn't gifted with such an angelic voice, hell, she was probably one of the worst singers in all the Great Shinobi Nations, but she has found a way of releasing her pent up emotions and that is through singing, well, screaming the lyrics at the top of her lungs seemed like a better way to put it.

Kisame will surely keep on teasing her about it for a couple of days or more but she can't do anything about it anymore. She can't take back what she just did so the only option left was to face it head on.

She stepped out of the bathroom after a few minutes and luckily for her the fish was already cooked and ready to eat. Wordlessly, she sat on the space between Itachi and Kisame and proceeded to eating her fish, as her captors were already indulging in theirs.

Kisame glanced at the pink-haired medic sitting beside him and can't help the little scene she did earlier from playing again and again in his head. Trying his hardest to contain his laughter and stop himself from spitting out his dinner, he turned his gaze away from her.

As he turned away, Sakura stole a glance at the shark man's face, knowing all too well what he had in mind. The scene she did earlier was simply too good to ignore and she knew that the Mist missing nin will keep on bringing up the matter until he grows tired of it or finds another laughing stock to turn his attention to. Yes, what she did earlier was funny and laughable to some, but inside she felt sad. Under the Akatsuki's captivity, she didn't even have the freedom to do her routines to release the tension she felt inside.

The blue-skinned Akatsuki member glanced back at the young woman beside him and upon seeing her looking back at him, all the restraint he had been trying hard to keep crashed down on him and he burst out laughing.

Sakura rolled her eyes and Itachi just watched him impassively as he clutched his stomach and rolled on the floor. It didn't escape the young medic's attention at how Kisame's action resembled how Naruto reacted upon hearing one of Sai's jokes one evening when they were eating at Ichiraku. Suddenly, a sad smile crept up on her face. It seemed so long ago since she was able to see her brother figure's smiling face, or any of her friends' faces for that matter. And the thought of not seeing them ever again sent a painful stab to her heart.

The pink haired kunoichi quickly shrugged off her thoughts, realizing that thinking about such things won't be of any help to her. She then glanced at Kisame who was still clutching his stomach in laughter.

"Laugh all you want, fish face. See if I care" she commented before munching on her dinner. It took a few more minutes before the Samehada wielder calmed down completely, and by that time both Itachi and Sakura were already finished with their dinner.

After cleaning up, the three of them decided that it was time to retire for the night seeing as they have another day's worth of travel the next day. The pink haired kunoichi found herself lying beneath her futon which was sandwiched between Itachi's and Kisame's futons. As usual, Itachi placed himself near the window. He had his eyes closed but his breathing told her that he was still wide awake.

From her place at the floor, Sakura gazed at the beautiful winter night sky through the window next to Itachi. It's been a month and a half since she was taken captive by the Akatsuki and almost three months since she left Konoha for her solo mission. Although it has its limitations, Sakura was starting to see Itachi and Kisame as more than captors but companions. She didn't really have a choice in the matter since Itachi forbade her to socialize with other people ever since they left Satoshi's village. But even with Itachi and Kisame's companionship, thoughts about her friends whom she treated as family still linger in her mind. Has Naruto come back from his training with Jiraiya-sama? If so, how did he react upon hearing the news about her disappearance? Has Tsunade-sama already lessened her usage of alcohol to get more work done? Is Sai getting along well with the villagers without her guidance? Has Kakashi-sensei already laid his hands on the latest sequel of Icha Icha Paradise, the book that he has been waiting for for so long?

The questions kept on going on and on and she knew that not even one of those questions can be answered with the way things are going right now. And no matter how many times she told herself not to think about them, she can't help it. Her friends and colleagues back at Konoha held a large space in her heart and there was no way that she can just ignore thinking about them.

The saying "you only realize how important a thing is when it's gone" was definitely true. For such a long time she has taken her freedom for granted and now when she is under constant surveillance and doing simple things like talking to other people still needs approval from her captors, she realized just how important it was to be free. And the thought of her being in the same predicament as she was right now for the rest of her life made her heart ache. Before she knew it, droplets of tears seeped through her emerald orbs and she found herself sobbing quietly. For now, she decided to let the emotions she has been locking up inside her out. Maybe she'll feel better in the morning…

* * *

Itachi just laid there on his futon as the young woman on his side cried herself to sleep silently. He kept telling himself that he shouldn't feel anything for their captive but it seemed that his emotions betrayed him. Something similar to regret welled up inside of him as the moonlight illuminated the small cottage and he was able to see her tear-stained face as she slept. He knew the reasons for her tears, the incident from two days ago provoked it and he had spent enough time with her to know what her expressions meant. But as it was, he can't do anything to ease her pain. With Yukio lurking around the corner, he cannot simply let her go. He knew that it was out of his concern whatever happens to this pink-haired medic but something inside him was telling him not to let her go, that she was safer with them than with anybody.

She was a fully capable kunoichi, he had seen her in battle and, although she lacks in some areas, she can definitely protect herself and hold her own battle. But there was something about her that brought out his inner protectiveness. He didn't even feel this way towards Sasuke, so how can he exactly address the way he was feeling for her? She doesn't mean anything to him, his life can go on without her. Yet, what are these unknown feelings that are slowly starting to manifest?

Kisame's loud snoring broke him out of his flow of thoughts. For the second time that night, he was thankful for his partner's unintended distraction. Feeling the exhaustion from the trip earlier, he finally closed his eyes and let himself fall to a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Morning light shone from the sun, through the open window and straight to the sleeping face of one Sakura Haruno. She stirred and turned to her side in order to avoid the harsh morning greeting when she heard loud snoring coming from her left. Abruptly, she opened her eyes and confirmed that it was indeed the blue-skinned missing nin making the noise. Knowing that she won't be able to fall back to sleep with Kisame's loud snoring, she sat up as she tried to take in her surroundings. Itachi was nowhere in sight, probably out in the forest catching their breakfast and securing the area. For a start, she got up, made her bed and placed it at the cabinet. Itachi's futon was already folded neatly inside the cabinet, as expected of him.

After taking a quick shower, Sakura sat in the windowsill as she stared at the scenery before her. Winter's days were numbered and Spring will soon set in, bringing a promise of new life upon its wake. She had always looked forward to the arrival of Spring from when she was young, it gave her hope and seeing the plants and flowers growing again never failed to lift her mood. A heartfelt smile spread across her face at that thought but it immediately faded into a sad smile. It was foolish of her to think about hope and new beginnings when she was still in the clutches of the Akatsuki. Yes, she should be glad of the way they were treating her even though she was their prisoner. But at the end of the day, they were still merciless missing nins who wouldn't even bat an eye upon seeing her bloody and nearly dying form.

She wouldn't even have the chance to say her goodbyes to the people she cared most. She wouldn't even have the chance to see Naruto's smiling face again, to stand at Tsunade's side with Shizune as she went on with her daily duties as Hokage, to teach Sai how to apply the words from the book to real life encounters, to go on another mission with Kakashi-sensei and the team, and most of all she wouldn't even have the chance to see Team 7 reunite again as in friendly terms.

Yes, she hated feeling depressed, it was a sign of weakness and since Tsunade took her under her wings, Sakura has tried her very best not to be called weak again. But in her situation, she can't help it. Normally, Naruto's cheerful presence or talking to Ino about her problems were her ways to fight off depression but as it was, neither Naruto nor Ino could be found anywhere near here.

She lowered her head, mentally berating herself at how pitiful she looked, when something caught her eye. She immediately went to the desk and pulled out the drawers. A smile made its way to her lips as she grabbed a stack of blank papers. She had almost forgotten about it, but since her mother had passed away she has been writing to her as a way to cope up with the loss. Sure, it wasn't easy writing how you felt when the person you were addressing to is already gone but as time progressed, it became a regular habit of hers to fight off depression.

And so, Sakura started writing but this time it was addressed not to her mother but to her shishou, Tsunade. She had stood by Sakura's side at all times and it was safe to say that she became like a second mother to the pink-haired kunoichi after her biological mother departed from this world.

She kept on writing and writing, not minding the pile of rejected papers around her, and when she was finished a wide smile appeared on her features and she felt depressed no more. She kept her letter safely tucked in her bag as she felt Itachi getting near.

The large pile of crumpled papers quickly caught Itachi's attention upon his arrival, but rather than inquiring about it he chose to simply ignore it. Unceremoniously, he tossed a grilled fish on a stick at her and she caught it with ease. The raven-haired man sat on a corner and began eating his own breakfast silently. The smell of the freshly-grilled fish was enough motivation for Kisame to get up and he did so, all the while keeping a smile to his blue face.

"Good morning!" he greeted as he stretched and yawned and finally went and ate his breakfast. Sakura watched him dumbfounded, he really does resemble Naruto in various ways. It was both refreshing and distressing at the same time, refreshing because it felt like a part of her blonde brother figure was always there for her and distressing because it reminded her, yet again, of her friends back at home.

She then shook her head abruptly in order to get the thoughts out of her mind, she's had enough of brooding and as much as she hated admitting it, there was nothing she can do about it. Might as well accept the fact that she was still Akatsuki's prisoner and hope for the best, she can't afford to think negatively now.

Her train of thoughts stopped upon seeing Itachi stand up from where he was seated and made his way to the bathroom. His hand gripped the doorknob and paused mildly.

"We'll be leaving in an hour" he stated before stepping inside the bathroom.

* * *

The raven-haired Uchiha did the last of the hand seals and within seconds the small cottage they've stayed in for the past night 'til this morning faded and was consumed by the greenery around it. Their captive blinked a couple of times, finding it hard to believe that the cottage was really there in the first place. According to the textbooks she has read, the Uchiha clan's specialty is genjutsu so it shouldn't be a wonder to her how perfect Itachi's concealment genjutsu was. But it was, after all, her first time to see an actual genjutsu done by an Uchiha (Sasuke rarely did genjutsu techniques when he was still in Konoha so Sakura never had the chance to see one from him) and not even a trace of the cottage can be seen.

"Are you just going to stand there, little mouse?" called out Kisame as he and Itachi began walking. At this, Sakura composed herself and turned towards her captors, catching up with them as they took to the trees. The medic was about to open her mouth and ask where they will be going, but she decided against it and kept her mouth shut. No one was going to answer her question anyway, so why ask?

Itachi, Kisame and Sakura leapt through the trees under the mid-morning sun, the watchful gazes of four shinobi from a couple of miles away unknown to them.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hello! How are you guys doing? Hope you liked this chapter. Things will start to get more exciting from now on. Please forgive my lame excuse of adding a little humor to the story. Now I know that comedy is really not my forte. And the song Sakura sang while she was at the bathroom is titled "I can". I really didn't know why of all the songs I know, that one popped in my head while I was writing that part. It's a good song, by the way.

If you have questions, suggestions, or anything don't hesitate to write a message or review. I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Thanks again for all the support! I really really appreciate it!

Don't forget to write a review!

Happy Holidays! Stay safe!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

**Kaycee**


End file.
